Outside of France, people easily underestimate how big Stade Rennais is, but in France no one doubts they are a top team. They rarely win a trophy but do have a very special identity, a great catchment area and a beautiful, modern stadium.
Nowhere in France, a regional identity matters as much as it does in Brittany. Breizh, as the region is called in their own language, is a quirky region, with an own flag, language and anthem. At the Stade Rennais, they really cherish that identity. In a sportive way, the stable Rennes has been a serious challenger for many years. The red-blacks try to level with the French top teams, without neglecting their own identity.
Apart from some small lawns in the years after the foundation, Stade Rennais never played anywhere else than here at the river Vilaine, in the west of Rennes. The Stade de la Route de Lorient, named after the road where it lays next to, is a real football stadium that has been growing along with the club. Nowadays it's called Roazhon Park, with Roazhon being the Breton name of Rennes.
Stade Rennais has got fans in entire Brittany and is the most important club in the region these days, something they tend to propagate as well. On the walls of the stadium, you'll find the ermines of the Breton flag, which the fans bring to the stadium frequently as well. And before every home game, the anthem of Brittany is played, which is loudly sung along by the whole stadium. Something that's impossible for outsiders, by the way.
In Roazhon Park you can enjoy a galette-saucisse, a roll-up pancakes with a sausage inside. You could see it as the Breton variant of the hot dog, and we can definitely recommend this local snack.
Many clubs have a statue of a legend in front of the stadium, at Stade Rennais it's slightly different. Because of the 120th anniversary of the club in 2021, they revealed a monument for Jean Prouff, former player and the most successful manager in the history of the club. The in 2008 passed away Prouff isn't portrayed standing up, but seated on his own chair on the Tribune Super U, just below the club's crest.
Inside Tribune Super U, the stand along the Rue de Lorient, Stade Rennais opened the Galerie des Legendes, the classy museum of the club. Here you can gaze at the trophies Rennes won over the years, and also take part in various interactive activities. You can visit the museum as part of the stadium tour the club offers as well.
For a club as big and old as Stade Rennais, their trophy cabinet is a little bit scantily filled. Even though France has known very much different champions, Rennes never became one of them, having a 3rd place in 2020 as their best result ever. But if they manage to win a trophy, they celebrate it greatly. A year earlier, Rennes came with a thunderous surprise by beating the giants of PSG in the final of the Coupe de France. The day after the final, tens of thousands of fans gathered at the Place de la Mairie to welcome their cup heroes, who came to show the trophy on the left balcony of the town hall.
In the shadow of Roazhon Park, at the Rue Moulin de Comte you have the academy of the club, the ETP Odorico. This white building is the non-football part of the academy, it's where the youth players live and where they go to school. Youngsters like Sylvain Wiltord, Yoann Gourcuff and Ousmane Dembélé dreamt here on their room from a future as a professional football player.
Tickets for home games of Stade Rennais can be bought simply on the website of the club. For matches against arch rivals FC Nantes, Paris Saint-Germain or Lorient you'll have to be quick, otherwise Roazhon Park will be packed.
Roazhon Park (Rue de Lorient 111) is easily accessible by car from the ring road of Rennes. Take exit 10 (Port de Lorient) and you'll see the stadium immediately. Around the stadium, there are several parking lots available for football fans. If you don't come by car, the best thing you can do is take metroline B to station Cleunay, a ride of a couple of minutes from the city center. From there, it's a 15 minute-walk tot the stadium.
Beeld: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
