December 21 – Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc (pictured) has called for a new stadium to be built for the French champions as part of France’s bid to host the 2016 European Championships.
Bordeaux will be one of 12 cities to feature in France’s bid to host Euro 2016, and have presented a project which would cost between €180 and €200 million (£89-£178 million)
But the club would be expected to finance half of the cost of the project which the former Manchester United defender does not think is far.
He said: ”If we don’t take advantage of Bordeaux’s results over the past two-and-a-half years by building a new stadium, new grounds, a new structure which will allow us to have new financial resources, it’s absurd.
“Do you know many clubs who invest this much in French projects?”
Blanc, a member of the French squad that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championships in 2000, led Bordeaux to the league and cup double last season having only taken over as manager in June 2007.
The club currently play in the 34,694-seater Jacques-Chaban-Delmas Stadium which was overhauled for the 1998 World Cup.
Blanc said: ”If it [the new stadium] doesn’t happen I think personally we’ll have missed a phenomenal opportunity.
“When you don’t go forward in life and football you regress.
“I know that this won’t please many in this gloomy period when there are other priorities.
“I say that in my area, my sport, football, there are opportunities not to be missed.”
The new stadium would be financed up to the tune of €20 million (£18 million) by the Government with the city of Bordeaux and the Bordeaux Urban Community (CUB) giving €15 million each (£13 million).
Bordeaux major Alain Juppe has also suggested the possibility of the stadium being named after a sponsor who would pay up to €10 million (£9 million).
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