Allianz Riviera: OGC Nice
The Allianz Riviera is the home of Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d’Azur, or OGC Nice for short. It was opened in 2013 and replaced the club’s former stadium, the Stade Municipal du Ray. Construction on the new ground began in 2011 and it was initially feared that it might not be completed within the initial time frame. When it was confirmed that France had been awarded the hosting of the 2016 UEFA European Championships and that the Allianz Riviera would be one of the stadiums used for the competition, however, all of those fears were allayed.
Nice as a football club was founded in 1904 and was one of the founding members of the French First Division. As you might be able to guess from the club’s full name, they were originally formed with a focus on athletics and gymnastics. That is something that the club have held onto throughout their history and even now the OGC in their name stands for Olympique Gymnaste Club.
Stats
| Allianz Riviera Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 2013 |
| Capacity | 36178 |
| Average Attendance | 22949 |
| Record Attendance | 35596 (OGC Nice v Saint-Etienne 2016) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 68 (7140) |
| Former Name | Olympic Nice Stadium |
| Owner | City of Nice |
| Sponsor | Allianz |
| Clubs Hosted | OGC Nice, RC Toulon |
| First Fixture | OGC Nice v Valenciennes FC (22/09/2013) |
| OGC Nice Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1904 |
| Nickname | Les Aiglons (The Eaglets), Le Gym |
| Rivals | AS Monaco |
| Previous Stadiums | Stade Municipal du Ray |
| Kit | Red & Black Stripes (Home) / Black (Away) / Red (Third) |
| Training Ground | Charles-Ehrmann Sports Park |
| Shirt Sponsor | INEOS |
| Team Owner | International Investor Group, Jean-Pierre Rivère |
| Record Goalscorer | Joaquín Valle (339) |
Allianz Riviera Photos
Dr. Janos Korom / Flickr.com
By Mirasol (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Ing-renault06 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Reenatoo06 (Own work travail personnel) [CC0]
By Mirasol (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Dalfino at fr.wikipedia (Transferred from fr.wikipedia) [CC BY-SA 2.5]
Allianz Riviera Seating Plan and Where to Sit
The Allianz Riviera is designed in the bowl style that has now become de rigeur for modern stadiums. Even though it is in a bowl style it still has four sections and these are called Ray, Garibaldi, Populaire and Segurane. Ray is the stand that is located to the North, Garibaldi is in the East, Populaire is in the South and Segurane is in the West.
The stadium has three tiers that are separated by executive boxes and lounges. There are also numerous fan specific areas where supporters can get a drink and watch the football from. Away fans are located in the North-East corner of the stadium and will find perspex panels either side of them. The stadium has fantastic views, throughout, however, so you won’t be disappointed with wherever you end up sitting.
OGC Nice Ticket Prices
How much you’ll pay for tickets at the Allianz Riviera will depend on what game you’re going to see and where about in the ground you’re hoping to sit. As is often the case with games in modern leagues you’ll also find that tickets are categorised but general information isn’t easily obtainable.
How To Get OGC Nice Tickets
You can, of course, make online reservations through the club’s official website. That isn’t the only way to buy tickets, though, with the club’s official store in Nice also selling them. You can pick tickets up from the box office at the Allianz Riviera and there also the opportunity to buy tickets from the club’s remote sales outlets throughout the country. According to the club’s website these sales outlets include Carrefour, Leclerc, Fnac, Géant and Auchan. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that you’ll pay full price for your tickets from these locations.
Where to Buy
Getting To Allianz Riviera
The Allianz Riviera is about 10 km to the West of the centre of Nice, but there are many excellent transport options to get you to and from the ground.
Train – If you want to get the train to Nice then you can do so reasonably easily, though it will take a while. You’ll get the train from London St. Pancras International to Paris before then catching an internal from the City of Love through to the Riviera. It will take about nine hours in total, though, so make sure you pack your sleeping pills!
Gare de Nice-Ville is the main station that serves the city of Nice. From there you can get a train to Saint-Augustin Station and either get shuttle bus to the ground or else another train to Saint-Isodore Station. The stadium is a ten minute walk from there.
Bus – There is a special match day service that runs from Nice’s city centre to the ground. The number 95 takes just under an hour to complete its journey and buses leave every five minutes or so. Alternatively the local buses numbered 9 and 10 also run to the stadium, though they take more like an hour and a quarter to get there so it’s not the most exciting alternative, to be honest.
Car – The Allianz Riviera is reasonably easy to access via by car. It is located by a motorway and a dual carriageway. If you’re on the A8 motorway then take Exit 52 and keep an eye out for the ground.
By Air – Arriving in Nice by plane is not only an easy option it’s also an exciting one. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is the one you’ll be flying into and it serves over ten million passengers a year. The airport is about 7 km West of the city centre. You’ll be able to get the 98 shuttle bus to the centre of town from the airport.
Taxi – If you’re hoping to get a taxi from the airport to the ground then expect to pay something in the region of €20. It should take about 15 minutes, but if it takes longer because of traffic then you’ll obviously end up paying more!
Parking Near Allianz Riviera
There are over 11,000 parking spaces at the stadium itself, so that will be your number one port of call if you’re driving to the arena and looking for somewhere to park your car.
Useful Resources
Allianz Riviera Hotels
Nice is on the famed Riviera, so you’re not going to be short of top-class places to stay in the city. We’ve picked some good hotels for your perusal, though, just in case your unsure of where to start.
Kyriad Nice Ouest Saint Isidore - £50+
Radisson Blu Hotel - £75+
Servotel Saint-Vincent - £100+
Pubs and Bars Near Allianz Riviera
Much like with the hotels, the fact that Nice is such a desired location in the South of France means that there are plenty of bars and restaurants for you to consider visiting before you head to the ground. Most of them are in the centre of the city, though, so don’t head to the ground unless you want to get a drink and bite to eat inside it.
Brewdog Nice
Ma Nolan’s
Pub Oxford
Facilities
The Allianz Riviera has all of the top-class facilities you’d expect from one of the most modern stadiums in the country. You’ll be able to buy food and drink inside the ground and the atmosphere you’ll experience will be one of the best around. There are also nice concourses with grandstands from which you can watch the football unimpeded.
Hospitality
There are a number of excellent hospitality options at the Allianz Riviera. The club has VIP lodges that it uses to house those supporters that want to splash out in order to experience the very best in hospitality. You’ll benefit from attentive service, excellent cuisine and access to your VIP rooms after the match.
The catering at the ground is done by Lenôtre and can be enjoyed before, during and after the game. You’ll also get a private, underground parking space for every two tickets you buy. If you attend for matches against premier opposition such as PSG or Olympique Marseille then you’ll receive a souvenir gift from the club as well.
Private Hire
As one of the newest stadiums in France there’s no question that there are private hire options at the Allianz Riviera. If you fancy then you’ll also want to consider hiring space at the National Sports Museum. There you’ll be able to host cocktail receptions, dinners, seminars, symposiums and even film screenings in an 80-seat auditorium.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Guided tours of the Allianz Riviera last for about an hour and cost €13 for adults and €9 for everyone else. Children under five can enter the tour for free.
About OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d’Azur have won Ligue 1 four times and the Coupe de France on three different occasions. Most of the club’s success was achieved in the 1950s when they were managed by numerous different people including the Englishman William Berry. Their most recent success was the winning of their third Coupe de France trophy in 1997.
Nice were one of the founding members of Ligue 1, the top-tier of French Football. They finished 7th in the league’s inaugural season. The club adopted their black and red colours in 1919 when they merged with a local club called Gallia Football Athlétic Club. The club’s biggest rivalry is with AS Monaco, another club on the South coast of France with whom they compete in the Derby de la Côte d’Azur.
Allianz Riviera History
The Allianz Riviera was only completed in 2013, so its history isn’t exactly rich and wonderful. During the building phase it was called Grand Stade de Nice and the financing for the ground came from both public and private money. The sponsorship deal with the insurance firm Allianz was announced in 2012, with the name Allianz Riviera assigned to the ground later that year.
The arena hosted three of the group matches in the first round as well as one of the last 16 matches during the 2016 UEFA European Championships. Whenever it is used for a UEFA match it is known as the Stade de Nice. Wilmotte & Associés, the company that designed the stadium, also designed the Kaliningrad Stadium in Russia and the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. Nice were originally keen to develop their old ground, the Stade du Ray, but when they began investigating the possibility of this it soon became clear that a brand new stadium would be the best solution for the club and the city.
Future Developments
Owing to the fact that the stadium was only completed in 2013 it is unlikely that any further developments will take place there in the foreseeable future. The area around the ground was developed in the build-up to the Euros in the summer of 2016, but little else is likely for the time being.