Montpellier FC – French Ligue 1 champions in 2012 – will move into a new 25,000-capacity stadium by 2021 according to the city’s mayor.
Philippe Saurel told French news agency AFP that the local authority was “working on the project of a new football stadium,” which is due to be completed by 2020 or 2021.
Owned by the local government, the stadium will reportedly be constructed at a cost of €130m (£102.4m, US$148.4m). The team currently plays at the 33,000-seat Stade de la Mosson, which was built in 1972 and renovated in 1997 in time for the France 1998 World Cup.
The club has struggled to repeat the unexpected success of four years ago, when an Olivier Giroud-inspired team held off competition from Qatari-owned Paris Saint Germain to win the championship. Average gates this season have been under 13,000 as Montpellier occupies a mid-table berth.
One reason for the move may be the local topography. The Stade de la Mosson is “extremely susceptible” to flooding, and storms in 2014 forced Montpellier to play home games at the city’s rugby club for a spell.
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