<\/p>\n

Key facts<\/h3>\n

Club: AS Saint-Etienne | Opening: 1931 | Capacity: 41,500 seats<\/p>\n

History and description<\/h3>\n

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard was built on a plot of land that was donated to the club by its founder Geoffroy Guichard (who also founded the retail group Casino). The president of the club, his son Pierre, in turn decided to name the stadium after his father.<\/p>\n

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard officially opened on 13 September 1931 with a match between AS St\u00e9phanoise (which would later become Saint-Etienne) and Cannes (1-9).<\/p>\n

The stadium consisted of a single grand stand of 800 seats, several terraces, and a running track circling the pitch. The adjacent steel works regularly blew their fumes over the pitch.<\/p>\n

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard underwent a major change in 1956 when the running tracks were removed and the stands remodelled in a rectangular shape.<\/p>\n

In 1968, after the city of Saint-Etienne had become owner of the stadium, further works were performed, which included a brand new stand opposite the main stand and cover for the two kop stands. This resulted in a capacity of almost 40,000.<\/p>\n

The stadium got further expanded and renovated for the Euro 1984 Championships, resulting in a capacity of 48,270, almost half of them seats. During the championships it hosted two group matches.<\/p>\n

It took until a next major tournament, the 1998 World Cup<\/a>, for the stadium to receive a further major upgrade. Seats were installed and corporate facilities increased.<\/p>\n

During the 1998 World Cup, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard hosted a total of five group matches and the round of 16 match between Argentina and England (2-2).<\/p>\n

In 2011, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard was\u00a0selected as a playing venue for the Euro 2016<\/a> Championships, and as a result had to undergo major redevelopment works.<\/p>\n

The works\u00a0involved the rebuilding or renovation of all stands, resulting in a 41,500 all-seater arena, and\u00a0were completed before the start of the 2014\/15 season.<\/p>\n

During the Euro 2016 Championships, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard hosted three first round group games and the round of 16 games between Poland and Switzerland (1-1).<\/p>\n\n\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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(photos of the present Stade Geoffroy-Guichard below)<\/p>\n

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