By David Owen
October 17 – The new Stade Vélodrome, complete with undulating white roof, has been inaugurated in front of the new French Sports Minister in the southern French city of Marseille.
The 67,000 venue, the home of Olympique de Marseille, is set to host six Euro 2016 matches, including a semi-final. It is scheduled to make its international debut next month, with France playing Sweden in a November 18 friendly.
Completion of the three-year renovation project comes at a propitious moment, with Marseille, under celebrated Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa, sitting five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, and seven ahead of moneybags Paris Saint-Germain.
France expects Euro 2016 to attract more than a million visitors and to generate over €1 billion for the national economy.
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