Stade Pierre-Mauroy: Lille OSC Métropole
serditova / BigStock.com
The Stade Pierre-Mauroy has been the home of LOSC Lille Métropole since 2012. To begin with it was named the Grand Stade Lille Métropole, but it was renamed after the former Mayor of Lille, who went on to become the Prime Minister of France, after his death in 2011. The design of the stadium is incredibly modern and remarkably flexible. It can be altered to five different configurations in order to accommodate not only football matches but also basketball games, rugby matches and music concerts, that latter being something of a prerequisite for modern stadiums.
As for LOSC Lille themselves, they came about as the result of a merger between Olympique Lillois and SC Fives, both of whom were founding members of the French Ligue 1. Lillois, in fact, were the first ever champions of the French top-flight, so the history of success is woven into the club’s fabric. They have won the French First Division trophy four times and the Coupe de France on six occasions. Lille and Red Star FC share the honour of being the only clubs to have won the Coupe de France in three consecutive seasons; something Lille achieved between 1945 and 1948.
Stats
| Stade Pierre-Mauroy Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 2012 |
| Capacity | 50186 |
| Average Attendance | 29487 |
| Record Attendance | 48960 (Lille v PSG (2014)) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 68 (7140) |
| Former Name | Grand Stade Lille Métropole |
| Owner | Eiffage |
| Clubs Hosted | Lille OSC |
| First Fixture | Lille v Nancy (17/08/2012) |
| Lille OSC Métropole Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1944 |
| Nickname | Les Dogues (The Great Danes) |
| Rivals | RC Lens, Valenciennes |
| Previous Stadiums | Henri Jooris, Grimonprez-Jooris, Nord Lille Métropole |
| Kit | Red & Dark Blue (Home) / White (Away) / Black (Third) |
| Training Ground | Domaine de Luchin |
| Shirt Sponsor | boulanger |
| Team Owner | Merlyn Partners SCSp |
| Record Goalscorer | Jean Baratte (218) |
| Record Appearances | Marceau Somerlinck (428) |
Stade Pierre-Mauroy Photos
By Liondartois (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Julien Bertrand (Own work) [Public domain]
By PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0]
© Sémhur / Wikimedia Commons
serditova / BigStock.com
Stade Pierre-Mauroy Seating Plan and Where to Sit
The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is built in the same bowl style that has become de rigeur for modern sporting grounds. It has three levels with a row of executive boxes separating the second and third. The second tier is also decidedly smaller than the other two as it houses premier seating. Interestingly the stadium also has the ability to lift part of a stand on hydraulic lifts and tracks that can slide it over half of the field. That allows a second lower level of seating to be put in place for sports that require a degree more intimacy than football games. Basketball, tennis and music shows can all have the stands organised in this manner.
As is typical of pretty much all football stadiums, there are still four stands in the stadium. These are labelled after the geographical locations of the stands within the ground: Nord, Sud, Est and Ouest. The most die-hard of Lille’s fans sit behind the goal in the North stand and create a somewhat intimidating atmosphere.
Lille OSC Métropole Ticket Prices
How much it costs to see Lille play live will depend on numerous factors, including how old you are and where in the stadium you’d like to sit. You can expect to pay somewhere between €10 and €90 depending on the answer to those questions. As an example, a 2022 game against Metz had tickets from €10 to €65.
You’ll also find that there’s the option to buy tickets for fan bars as well as hospitality sections like the Business Club, but more of that later. Obviously the price you’ll pay will fluctuate depending on the opposition that Lille are up against. The top teams in the division as well as Lille’s main rivals will often cost more to see than the lower clubs.
How To Get Lille OSC Métropole Tickets
Like with most top clubs, there are several options for buying your tickets for Lille games. You can pick tickets up from the ticket office at the stadium and at Lille club shops in the city. You can also buy them online or by phoning the club directly. Online might be tricky as the club’s website is all in French, but there are third party clients that you can buy from.
Where to Buy
Getting To Stade Pierre-Mauroy
The stadium is located outside of the city boundaries, but it’s still very easy to access via a number of different methods.
Train – If you’re hoping to get to Lille directly from London by train then you can do so on the Eurostar. It’s a direct train that takes about an hour and a half from London St. Pancras International to Gare Lille Europe.
Once you’re in Lille it is easy enough to get onto the city’s excellent Metro system. You’ll want to get onto the Yellow Line and the two stops at the end of the line are the ones you need for the ground. Cite Scientifique is the closest, but there’s not a lot in it. You can get a shuttle bus from Les Pres, a stop on the Red Line, to the stadium. The bus itself starts running about two hours before the match kicks off.
Bus – You can get bus line 18 from the centre of Lille to close to the stadium. Keep your ears peeled for Versailles as that’s the stop you’ll want for the stadium, though if you keep an eye out through the window you’ll doubtless see the stadium looming up in front of you!
Car – The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is next to the N227 motorway so you’ll need to take exit 3 for Villeneuve d’Ascq if you’re hoping to drive to the ground.
By Air – Lille is close to the border with Belgium, so your flight options are actually rather numerous. Charleroi Brussels-South Airport is the main hub for Brussels and there is a direct shuttle bus from there to Lille that takes about 90 minutes. Alternatively you can get a shuttle train to Gare Bruxelles-Midi, the main train station in Brussels, from where you can get either the Eurostar or a regular train to Lille centre.
Another alternative is to fly to Paris. Charles De Gaulle Airport is around 50 minutes from Lille on a direct train. You can, of course, fly to one of the other Parisian airports such as Paris Beauvais, but then you’ll have to travel into Paris itself and back out again and Beauvais is really far away.
Finally you can fly into Lille-Lesquin International Airport, the airport that serves the city of Lille directly. It’s about a 15 minute drive away from the centre of the city.
Taxi – A taxi from the airport to the stadium will cost about €20 on average and will take around 20 minutes. If you get stuck in traffic, though, it will take longer and cost more.
Parking Near Stade Pierre-Mauroy
There is a good Park & Ride for the stadium that is an excellent option if you’re concerned about trying to park close to the ground. There is parking near to the stadium and there’s a specific car park for disabled fans, too.
Useful Resources
Stade Pierre-Mauroy Hotels
Lille is a lovely place to stay with plenty of hotel options in the city centre, but there are also hotels that are part of the stadium complex. We’ve got them for you here:
Hotel Stars Lille Villeneuve d'Ascq - £30+
B&B Hôtel Lille Grand Stade - £40+
Park Inn by Radisson Lille Grand Stade - £43+
Pubs and Bars Near Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Lille has a burgeoning nightlife and, believe it or not, is actually well-known for its gin production. There are loads of good bars and pubs for you to have a few drinks in in the city centre, though there aren’t many places near to the stadium with a good atmosphere.
Tir Na Nog
Pub Mac Ewan's
O'Scotland
Facilities
Construction of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy began in 2009 and was completed in 2012, so it’s fair to say that it is absolutely state-of-the-art. It’s true that there is a degree of ‘function over form’ about the inside of the stadium, but there are plenty of food vendors in the concourse that sell hot and cold snacks as well as drinks. There aren’t really any restricted view seats in the ground, either, so you’ll enjoy your experience from your seat whatever happens on the pitch.
Hospitality
There are approximately 7000 business seats at Lille’s home ground. There are divided between three levels of service that break down into the Fan Club section, the Club House and the Business Club. The Business Club, for example, sees you get seats in the 1st Level of the grandstand and enjoy access to a buffet before and after the game as well as at half-time. You’ll also get drinks during that period.
There is also the Panorama Restaurant, located in Level 1 of the Northern Tribune. There you’ll be able to sample menus created by the best chefs in the city and the menus are prepared according to region and the season. On top of that you’ll get, as the name suggests, panoramic views of the stadium.
Private Hire
There is about 10,000 m2 of space for private hire at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. The architecture of the stadium combined with the technological advancements that have been put in place to ensure it is one of the most modern grounds in France means it is one of the top venues for events in the region.
Whether you’re looking to host seminars, conventions, personal meetings or team-building exercises, you’ll find everything you need at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. You can also host private football tournaments there as well as garden parties, a private concert or DJ hosted events. In short, the stadium is one of the best venues around for whatever private hire event you might want to experience.
Stadium Tours & Museum
You can do tours of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and they last about an hour. You can do tours as a group or you can join a larger group as an individual. As with most stadiums the tour will take in the club’s changing rooms, the tunnel down to the pitch and the pitch side area itself. Tours cost about €13 for adults, €10 for children, students, disabled fans and the unemployed.
About Lille OSC Métropole
Have you ever wondered what the LOSC stands for in the club’s title, ‘LOSC Lille’? Well wonder no more. It stands for Lille Olympique Sporting Club and gets part of its name from the club’s formative days when it was created by a merging of Red Star FC and Olympique Lillois. Their record of three Ligue 1 titles and six Coupe de France wins make them the fourth most successful club in the country.
Lille’s chief rivalry is with their neighbours, RC Lens. When the two clubs face each other the match is referred to as ‘Le Derby du Nord’. Valenciennes are another club based in the North, though they are not as big a rival to Lille as Lens. When Lille and Valenciennes of up against each other, therefore, the match is called ‘Le Petit Derby du Nord’. The main part of the rivalry between Lille and Lens comes about because of the two city’s cultural backgrounds. Lens is known as a working class place where Lille is more middle class and modern.
Stade Pierre-Mauroy History
The club’s move to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy came about in 2012 (initially named Grand Stade Lille Métropole) when they left the Stade Nord in order to expand their capacity. The Stade Nord could only house 18,154 people and was starting to look a little bit decrepit having been built in 1976. The poor nature of the stadium also meant that the club could not hold Champions League matches there, so when the qualified for the tournament they initially had to play their games at the Stade Félix-Bollaert. That was particularly hurtful for Les Dogues as the Stade Félix-Bollaert was the home of their rivals, Lens.
All of those issues led to the building of the new stadium not far from the Stade Nord. The cost of the building of the ground was split three ways, with the city of Lille paying €24.7 million every year for 31 years, Lille themselves pay €7.5 million annually and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional council paid €45 million.
Future Developments
Owing to the fact that the stadium has only been open for a few years, it is unlikely that the Stade Pierre-Mauroy will be subject to any further developments any time soon. There were some improvements to the area around the ground ahead of the European Championships in 2016, but other than that there isn’t a lot due to happen any time soon.