Rennes

STADE RENNAIS FC – STADE DE LA ROUTE DE LORIENT – CAPACITY: 31,200 ALL SEATER

About the Stade De La Route De Lorient
The recently redeveloped Stade de la Route de Lorient has been home to Stade Rennais since 1912. The current stadium re-opened in 2001 when all of the stands were rebuilt to give a capacity of just over 30,000. The highest capacity in the stadium since the work has been complete was just under 30,000 for a game versus Marseille in 2005.

The stadium has four individual stands, with two tiered stands behind each goal. Views from all parts of the stadium are excellent, as the stands rise steeply from close to the pitch.

Who plays there?
The stadium is home to Stade Rennais. Formed by a couple of students in March 1901 the club palyed in the regional leagues until the end of the 1937 when they joined the newly formed national professional leagues. After the end of the Second World War the club tried to compete in the top leagues but struggled to attract the higher calibre players required. It took until the 1990’s for the club to start to attract players worthy of the top division. Even a couple of relegations in the 1990’s could not stop the ambition of the club when in 1993 the Pinault Group bought the club and started investing in the team.

Their best season was in 2004/05 when they finished 4th in Ligue 1, and in the process qualified for Europe for the first time. They repeated the act in 2006/07, although they missed out on a shot at the Champions League due to Lilles 93rd minute winner in their final game of the season.

How to get there
The stadium is located just north of the river and across the water from the huge Cleunay Commercial Centre. Bus number 11 runs to the stadium from the city centre. It is just a short drive from the N136 which links St Malo to Nantes.

For a better overview of football in France, go to Footiemap.com to view their excellent and comprehensive graphical overview of French football.

Getting a ticket
Tickets are available from the club shop at the stadium, online athttp://www.staderennais.com and cost €10 for a seat behind the goal in the lower tiers, to €15 in the upper tiers – the Tribune Ouest or Ville de Rennes. A seat in the middle of the main stand will cost €50. These can be booked by phone as well on +39 820 00 00 35. Tickets are also sold through a number of shops around the region including Carrefour, Virgin and FNAC.

Getting around
The main way of getting around the city is by the recently opened Metro system which runs from JF Kennedy in the north to La Potiere in the south via the city centre at station. It has 16 stops at the moment, although a second line is planned for the next few years. A single ticket is €1.10 and a daily ticket costs €3. Buses supplement the metro route, and these converge on Republique.

Nearest Airport – Rennes St Jacques (RNS)
Telephone: +33 2 99 29 60 00
Website: http://www.rennes.aeroport.fr

Rennes is not really on the tourist map although flights from the UK are becoming more popular, especially with FlyBe opening up the route from Belfast, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester and Southampton in 2007. To reach the town centre jump in a taxi. The four mile journey into Rennes should cost no more than €15.