French football team FC Metz, which was recently promoted back to Ligue 1, has started demolition of its Stade Saint-Symphorien home ground as the first phase towards the venue’s extensive renovation, according to media reports.
Metz finished first in Ligue 2 during the 2018-19 season to secure an immediate return to the top tier of French football and the club has now begun work on a revamp for its 25,600-seat home ground. The stadium will have an increased capacity of 30,000 after the renovation.
Demolition work has commenced on the stadium’s south stand and it is expected that this phase of renovation will be completed by August 2020. The southeast and southwest corners of the stadium will also be filled in by August 2021, with a pedestrian square to be created at the back of the south stand as part of the plans.
Additionally, the stadium’s sound and light system will be completely renovated as part of the new plans. The club had originally just planned on building a new south stand but revealed details of the more wide-ranging project. The project will have a budget of around €60 million ($67 million approx.).
The new south stand will seat around 8,000 fans compared to the present 3,500. The Stade Saint-Symphorien has been the home ground for the Metz since it was inaugurated in 1923.
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