Stade Vélodrome

The Stade Vélodrome (French pronunciation: [stad velɔdʁom]), known for sponsorship reasons as the Orange Vélodrome since June 2016,[4][5] is a multi-purpose stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1 since it opened in 1937, and has been a venue in the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups; the 1960, 1984 and 2016 editions of the UEFA European Championship; and the 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cup.[6] It occasionally hosts RC Toulon rugby club of the Top 14. It is the largest club football ground in France, with a capacity of 67,394 spectators. The stadium is also used regularly by the France national rugby union team.[7]

Stade Vélodrome
UEFA
Full nameStade Vélodrome
Location3, Boulevard Michelet
13008 Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
Public transit Rond-Point du Prado
Michelet Huveaune
OwnerCity of Marseille
OperatorOlympique de Marseille[1]
Executive suites73[2]
Capacity67,394[3]
Record attendanceFootball: 65,894 (Olympique de Marseille vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 26 February 2023)
Concert: 59,400 (Indochine, 11 June 2022)
Rugby: 64,123 (Clermont vs. Racing 92, 27 May 2017)
Field size105 × 68 metres (344 ft × 223 ft)
SurfaceAirFibr hybrid grass
Construction
Broke ground28 April 1935
Built1935–1937
Opened13 June 1937 (1937-06-13)
Renovated1984, 1998, 2014
ArchitectHenri Ploquin
Tenants
Olympique de Marseille (1937–present)
RC Toulon (occasional matches)
France national football team (selected matches)
France national rugby union team (selected matches)
Website
www.orangevelodrome.com

The record attendance for a club game before renovation at the Stade Vélodrome was 58,897 in a UEFA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United in 2004. Since expansion to 67,394, the record attendance at the ground now stands at 65,894 for the match against rivals Paris Saint-Germain that occurred on 26 February 2023.[8] The first-ever match to be played was between Marseille and Torino in 1937.[9]

The French rugby union team began an impressive run of victories at the stadium in the early 2000s. They defeated New Zealand 42–33 in November 2000, and in 2001 defeated Australia by one point. They beat South Africa in 2002, followed by a win over England in 2003. However, their run of luck was broken in 2004 when they lost 14–24 to Argentina. The venue was used by France for a game against New Zealand in November 2009.[10] In 2018, the stadium hosted its first Six Nations match with France hosting Italy.

France is not the only rugby team to have used the Vélodrome in recent years. On 18 April 2009, Toulon took their home fixture in the Top 14 against Toulouse to the Vélodrome, drawing 57,039 spectators[11] to see a 14–6 Toulon win which played a key role in the Toulonnais' successful fight against relegation in the 2008–09 season. Toulon has taken two home matches to the Vélodrome in each of the succeeding two seasons. The Vélodrome was also the venue for both semi-finals in the 2010–11 Top 14 season, and was used for the Toulon v Munster semi-final of the 2013–14 Heineken Cup.

On the 28th of May 2022, The Velodrome hosted the 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final between La Rochelle v Leinster in front of 59,682 spectators. On the 29th of June, The Velodrome will host the 2024 Top 14 Final due to the Stade de France being unavailable cause of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The 20th stage of the 2017 Tour de France, an individual time trial through the streets of Marseille, started and finished in the stadium.

History
The Vélodrome in 1937.

In 1935, the architectural firm Pollack Ploquin was chosen to build a stadium in Marseille. Henri Ploquin (who designed in 1932 with Charles Bouhana the Stade Municipal Louis Darragon)[12] designed the stadium. For economic reasons, only the Stade Vélodrome was built. On 28 April 1935, the foundation stone was laid for the Vélodrome by Marseille Mayor Ribot, on a site between downtown and the suburban areas of St. Giniez and Sainte-Marguerite on military grounds belonging to the city. The Stade Vélodrome opened on 13 June 1937, when a friendly match was played between Olympique Marseille (OM) and Italian of Torino FC (which ended 2-1 to Olympique Marseille). On 29 August 1937 (the second day of the France national football championship) a match took place between OM and Cannes. This was the first official match at the stadium.

The entrance to the Stade Vélodrome, the only legacy of the 1937 enclosure until its destruction in 2013.

As its name suggests, Stade Vélodrome was used for cycling competitions but as these races became less common, seating replaced the track which circled the stadium. The Vélodrome remained famous for fans of OM (Olympique Marseille) since the sloped track which was under the extended seating acted as a slide to invade the pitch at the end of matches.

Olympique de Marseille was long hostile to the Stade Vélodrome, calling it the "stadium of the City Council". For fans of the Olympians between the wars, the real home of OM was Stade de l'Huveaune, owned by Olympique de Marseille and partly financed by fans in the early 1920s. After World War II, however, Marseille no longer owned the Stadium Huveaune. Seeking support from the city, Chairman Marcel Leclerc had OM play at Huveaune from 1945 to 1960. The City Council then relented, and Olympique de Marseille moved to the Vélodrome. During the 1970s, OM shared the Stade with the Marseille XIII Rugby League.

First renovations

1970 marked the first modifications to the Vélodrome, with the replacement of the floodlights on the Ganay and Jean-Bouin tribunes by four 60 meter towers for nighttime events. In March 1971, the capacity of the stadium was increased by nearly 6000 seats, with the reduction of the cycling track and the removal of the cinder running track. This brought the total capacity of the stadium to 55,000 people, including the standing area.

Olympique returned to the Stade de l'Huveaune for the 1982–1983 season as Stade Vélodrome was under construction in preparation for the UEFA Euro 1984. The playing surface was completely replaced during this time. The semifinal between France and Portugal had set a record for attendance at an international match with 54,848 spectators. The capacity of the stadium was later reduced to 42,000 with the construction of lodges.

The cycling track was removed altogether once Bernard Tapie was appointed president of OM in 1985. He chose to remove it and rearrange the corners of the stadium, bringing the capacity up to 48,000. This renovation marked the end of the era of Vélodrome as a multi-use facility. The area around the stadium was also transformed with the creation of the second line of the metro which served the stadium from two stations and with the construction of the Palais des Sports nearby.

1998 World Cup and beyond
The Stade Vélodrome in its 1998-2011 configuration.

The Stade Vélodrome was completely renovated for the 1998 World Cup; its capacity increased from 42,000 to 60,031 seats (equivalent to 51 km or 32 mi of seats). The Vélodrome hosted the final draw, which took place on 4 December 1997 (the first time the final draw was held in an outdoor venue) and seven matches, including France's first match against South Africa, the quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands and the semifinal between Brazil and the Netherlands. As of 2011, the record attendance for a football game (58,897 spectators) was the Newcastle United UEFA Cup semifinal on 6 May 2004 (2–0). During the 2007 Rugby World Cup the Vélodrome hosted six games, including two quarter-finals: Australia versus England (which holds the overall attendance record with 59,120 spectators) and South Africa versus Fiji. On 16 July 2009, during preparations for a Madonna concert, one of four winches used to hoist the structure failed; the 60-ton roof fell (leaving two dead, eight wounded and crushing a crane).

Widely criticized and unloved by the Marseillais for its architecture (no roof, exposure to strong mistral winds and poor acoustics), the Stade Vélodrome has since 2003 been the subject of several projects to modernize and enlarge it. In July 2009, following an extraordinary council of the City of Marseille concerning the City Hall renovation project, a motion was passed launching a public-private partnership (PPP). On 21 June 2010, following France's winning bid for UEFA Euro 2016, Marseille announced that the stadium would receive another renovation (a roof and an increase in capacity from 60,031 to 67,000), making it a UEFA Elite Stadium. Works began in the spring of 2011 and were completed in summer 2014.

Attendance

In 2002, Division 1 was renamed Ligue 1. Olympique de Marseille's average attendance for each season since 2000–01 is listed below:[13]

Season Average Division
2000–01 50,755

Division 1

2001–02 50,030
2002–03 48,233

Ligue 1

2003–04 47,203
2004–05 49,970
2005–06 42,753
2006–07 47,715
2007–08 48,784
2008–09 50,134
2009–10 48,912
2010–11 50,500
2011–12 35,937
2012–13 29,383
2013–14 44,375
2014–15 53,733
2015–16 37,682
2016–17 41,650
2017–18 42,733
2018–19 43,458

Tournament results

1938 FIFA World Cup matches
Date Time (WEST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
5 June 193817:00 Italy2–1 (a.e.t.) NorwayFirst round18,000
16 June 193818:002–1 BrazilSemi-finals30,000

1960 European Nations' Cup
Date Time (CET) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
6 July 196021:30 Czechoslovakia0–3 Soviet UnionSemi-finals25,184
9 July 196018:002–0 FranceThird place match9,438

UEFA Euro 1984
Date Time (CEST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Spectators
17 June 198420:30 Portugal1–1 SpainGroup B24,364
23 June 198420:00 France3–2 (a.e.t.) PortugalSemi-finals54,848

1998 FIFA World Cup
Date Time (CEST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
12 June 199821:00 France3–0 South AfricaGroup C55,077
15 June 199814:30 England2–0 TunisiaGroup G54,587
20 June 199821:00 Netherlands5–0 South KoreaGroup E55,000
23 June 199821:00 Brazil1–2 NorwayGroup A55,000
27 June 199816:00 Italy1–0 NorwayRound of 1655,000
4 July 199816:00 Netherlands2–1 ArgentinaQuarter-finals55,000
7 July 199821:00 Brazil1–1 (a.e.t.)
(pen. 4–2)		 NetherlandsSemi-finals55,000

2007 Rugby World Cup matches

The Vélodrome hosted 6 games of the 2007 Rugby World Cup which was hosted by France including two quarter-final games.

Date Competition Home team Away team Attendance
8 September 20072007 Rugby World Cup Pool C New Zealand76 Italy1458,612
12 September 2007 Italy24 Romania1844,241
22 September 20072007 Rugby World Cup Pool D Argentina63 Namibia355,067
30 September 2007 France64 Georgia758,695
6 October 20072007 Rugby World Cup Quarter-finals Australia10 England1259,102
7 October 2007 South Africa37 Fiji2055,943

UEFA Euro 2016 matches

The Vélodrome hosted six games at UEFA Euro 2016, including a semi-final. In 2016, the stadium became the first in Europe to have hosted three European Championship semi-finals after France's previous hosting of the tournament in 1960 and 1984.

Date Time (CEST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
11 June 201621:00 England1–1 RussiaGroup B62,343
15 June 201621:00 France2–0 AlbaniaGroup A63,670
18 June 201618:00 Iceland1–1 HungaryGroup F60,842
21 June 201621:00 Ukraine0–1 PolandGroup C58,874
30 June 201621:00 Poland1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 pen.)		 PortugalQuarter-finals62,940
7 July 201621:00 Germany0–2 FranceSemi-finals64,078

2023 Rugby World Cup matches
Date Time (CEST) Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
9 September 202321:00 England27–10 ArgentinaPool D63,118
10 September 202317:45 South Africa18–3 ScotlandPool B63,586
21 September 202321:00 France96–0 NamibiaPool A63,486
1 October 202321:00 South Africa49–18 TongaPool B60,000
14 October 202317:00 Wales17–29 ArgentinaQuarter-finals62,576
15 October 202317:00 England30–24 Fiji61,863

Structure
1Tribune Jean-Bouin
2Virage Sud Chevalier Roze
3Tribune Ganay
4Virage Nord De Peretti
5Disabled seating (258 seats)
6Press gallery
7Loges
8Rostrum
9VIP hall
10Projectors
11Local
12Closets
13Offices
14TV studio
15Big screens

The four stands in the stadium are named after athletes (runner Jean Bouin and 1920s cyclist Gustave Ganay), a historical figure of the 1720 plague epidemic (Chevalier Roze) and a popular Olympique de Marseille supporter (Patrice De Peretti, nicknamed "Depe", who died suddenly in July 2000).

Rugby League

Other than the Rugby League World Cup games in 1954, 1972 and 1975, 14 other test matches were played at the stadium between 1938 and 1985. The France national team played in 16 of the internationals played at Stade Vélodrome. Four of the five international crowds between 1948-1951 constituted full houses of approximately 32,000, as rugby league remained the dominant rugby code in Marseille at the time.

Rugby League World Cup

Over three separate tournaments, the Vélodrome also hosted games of the Rugby League World Cup.

Date Competition Home team Away team Attendance
7 November 19541954 Rugby League World Cup group stage Australia34 New Zealand1520,000
28 October 19721972 Rugby League World Cup group stage France20 New Zealand920,748
17 October 19751975 Rugby League World Cup group stage France12 New Zealand1210,000

Rugby League Test matches

List of rugby league test matches played at Stade Vélodrome.[14]

Test#DateResultAttendanceNotes
116 January 1938 Australia def.  France 16–1123,1001938 France vs Australia series
218 January 1947 France def.  Wales 14–524,5001946–47 European Rugby League Championship
311 April 1948 England def.  France 25–1032,0001947–48 European Rugby League Championship
49 January 1949 Australia def.  France 29–1015,7961949 France vs Australia series
510 April 1949 France def.  Wales 11–030,0001948–49 European Rugby League Championship
615 January 1950 France def. Other Nationalities 8–330,0001949–50 European Rugby League Championship
715 April 1950 France def.  Wales 28–1316,8601950–51 European Rugby League Championship
825 November 1951 France def.  England 42–1331,8101951–52 European Rugby League Championship
923 November 1952 France def. Other Nationalities 29–1017,6111949–50 European Rugby League Championship
1013 December 1953 France def.  Wales 23–2225,0001953–54 European Rugby League Championship
1115 November 1965 France def.  New Zealand 14–330,4311965 France vs New Zealand series
1217 December 1967 France drew with  Australia 7–75,1931967–68 France vs Australia series
1320 December 1981 France def.  Great Britain 19–26,500
1424 November 1985 New Zealand def.  France 22–01,4921985 France vs New Zealand series

Location and accessibility

The stadium is four kilometres from the Old Port of Marseille, in the neighbourhoods of Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Giniez in the southern part of Marseille. It is bound to the south by the Huveaune river and to the north by the Parc Chanot and the headquarters of regional public TV station, France 3 Provence-Alpes. To its west runs the Boulevard Michelet and to the east the Marseille Palais des Sports and the Delort stadium.

The Vélodrome is serviced by the bus and metro networks of the Régie des transports de Marseille. Besides several bus services operating in the area, two stations of the Marseille Metro line 2 are close to the stadium.[15] Supporters wishing to reach the Ganay or North stands must alight at the Sainte-Marguerite Dromel station whereas the Rond-Point du Prado station caters for the South stand and the Jean-Bouin stand. This line, which also serves the Marseille Saint-Charles train station, has additional trains on matchdays.[16]

Marseille Provence Airport is thirty kilometres from the Vélodrome.

Current situation

The Stade Vélodrome has increased its seating capacity in 2014 (in prevision of the UEFA Euro 2016 hosted by France), and continues to host games for Olympique de Marseille. Previously it held 60,031 spectators; following its renovation, it is now able to hold 67,000, including 7,000 VIP seats. The cost of the project was €267 million.[17] The expansion and modernization of equipment was part of the French bid to organize Euro 2016. Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin's bid also provided for the creation of a new district.

Construction

Marseille has increased the stadium's capacity and installed a roof, as required by UEFA standards. The project also includes multiple reception areas and media space, better access for the disabled and better seating. The new stadium has been officially inaugurated on 16 October 2014.

Approaches

The esplanade Ganay has been preserved and refurbished. The RTM car park has been replaced with office towers and housing. RTM users benefit from a larger underground car park. Trees and wind turbines contribute to a new-neighbourhood HQE (high environmental quality).

Cost

The total project estimate is €267 million, with €150M for the stadium and the remnant for the surrounding shopping mall, hotel and housing, the private sector to cover two-thirds of the investment; the remainder will be shared by the region, the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, MPM and the city of Marseille for 20m euros. The French government contributed to upgrade the area's infrastructure. After several studies, the mayor selected the contract of partnership arrangements included in a PPP (public-private partnership).

Olympique de Marseille

"Olympique de Marseille will be closely associated with the project", said Jean-Claude Gaudin. The club remains a tenant of the stadium. Elected officials want ticket prices to be controlled.

Naming rights

The naming rights for the stadium were bought by French telecommunications multinational Orange.[18] The 10-year-deal was announced on 3 June 2016 by the Mayor of Marseille. The deal is reported to be worth €2.7 million annually.[19]

Concerts
Concert_SCH_Stade_Vélodrome_-_Marseille_VIII_(FR13)_-_2023-07-22_-_20
SCH at the Orange Vélodrome, 2023.
Concerts at Stade Vélodrome
DateArtistTourAttendance
5 September 1980 Julio Iglesias – 3,500 / 3,500
18 May 1983 Joan Baez – –
21 November 1984 Metallica Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang –
18 July 1989 Pink Floyd A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour –
20 June 1990 The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour –
14 July 1993 U2 Zoo TV Tour –
5 September 1993 Jean-Michel Jarre Europe In Concert 40,000 / 40,000
16 July 2000 Johnny Hallyday 100% Johnny Hallyday 50,000 / 50,000[20]
15 June 2002 Luciano Pavarotti – 25,000 / 35,000[21]
5 July 2003 The Rolling Stones Licks Tour –
3 June 2008 The Police The Police Reunion Tour 47,337 / 47,337
9 June 2009 AC/DC Black Ice World Tour 57,000 / 57,000
5 June 2015 Paul McCartney Out There –
13 May 2016 AC/DC Rock or Bust World Tour 60,000 / 60,000
18 July 2017 Céline Dion Céline Dion Live 2017 43,128 / 43,128
26 June 2018 The Rolling Stones No Filter Tour 58,000 / 58,000[22]
9 July 2019 Muse Simulation Theory World Tour 55,330 / 55,330
12 October 2019 Soprano Phoenix Tour –
4 June 2022 Jul Jul en Concert 52,000 / 52,000[23]
11 June 2022 Indochine Central Tour 59,400 / 59,400[24]
18 June 2022 Soprano Chasseur D'Étoiles Tour –
19 June 2022
11 June 2023 Beyoncé Renaissance World Tour 56,352 / 56,352[25]
8 July 2023 Mylène Farmer Nevermore 2023 48,000 / 48,000[26]
15 July 2023 Muse Will of the People World Tour 51,000 / 51,000[27]
22 July 2023 SCH Decennium Tour 53,400 / 53,400[28]
  • Inside the stadium
    Inside the stadium
  • Fans demonstration before a match against Paris Saint-Germain
    Fans demonstration before a match against Paris Saint-Germain
  • Aerial view of the stadium
    Aerial view of the stadium

See also

References
  1. "Football : l'OM arrache les clés du Stade-Vélodrome". Le Monde (in French). 12 July 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  2. "Comment l'Olympique de Marseille exploite les nouvelles infrastructures VIP du Stade Vélodrome ?" (in French). SportBuzzBusiness. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. "Le stade Orange Vélodrome, une enceinte unique" (in French). OM.fr. 17 November 2021.
  4. "Telecom Orange Claims Naming Rights For Olympique De Marseille's Vélodrome". Sport Business Journal. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  5. "L'Orange Vélodrome : les sirènes du "naming"" (in French). Le Point. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  6. "Orange Velodrome". stadiumguide.com. 1 December 2015.
  7. ""Juin au Vélodrome" : 13 juin 1937, naissance d'un monument" (in French). La Provence. 6 June 2020.
  8. "Lionel Messi nets 700th club goal in PSG romp over Marseille". ESPN. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023. ...all-time Ligue 1 record attendance of 65,800.
  9. ""Juin au Vélodrome" : 13 juin 1937, naissance d'un monument" (in French). La Provence. 6 June 2020.
  10. "France v New Zealand All Blacks". ticketsrugby.com. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  11. "Top 14 : Toulon-Toulouse, retour sur dix ans de Vélodrome". L'Équipe (in French). 6 April 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  12. "Fonds Bétons armés Hennebique (BAH). Subdiv. 06 : Auvergne – Á partir de 1931 et n.d." ArchiWebture. Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  13. "OM : les supporters". footmarseille.com. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  14. "Stade Vélodrome". rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  15. "How to get to Stade Vélodrome (Stade Orange Vélodrome) in Marseille, 8e Arrondissement by Bus, Metro or Light Rail?". Moovit App. 25 October 2021.
  16. "Venir à l'Orange Vélodrome". OM.fr.
  17. "Nouveau stade Vélodrome: les dessous du financement". La Provence (in French). 22 September 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  18. "Orange pounces for Marseille stadium naming rights". Sports Business Sponsorship. 6 June 2016.
  19. "Orange names Marseille stadium". Sports Pro Media. 6 June 2016.
  20. "Johnny, une histoire d'amour avec Marseille". La Provence (in French). 17 December 2017.
  21. "Concerts at the Orange Velodrome stadium". marseille-tourisme.com (in French). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  22. "Infatigables, légendaires, les Stones enflamment 58 000 fans à Marseille". Ouest France (in French). 27 June 2018.
  23. "Au stade Vélodrome, Jul a fait de Marseille une fête". La Provence (in French). 5 June 2022.
  24. "Marseille : la vague Indochine submerge l'Orange Vélodrome". La Provence (in French). 12 June 2022.
  25. "Renaissance Tour (2023)". Touring Data. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  26. "Un concert a tout jamais gravé dans l'histoire". LinkedIn (in French). 12 July 2023.
  27. "Orange Vélodrome on Twitter: "Incroyable show ! Ce samedi 15 juillet 2023, plus de 51 000 spectateurs dans l'enceinte du stade ont réservé une petite surprise au groupe de rock britannique Muse avec un tifo numérique exceptionnel". Twitter (in French). 23 July 2023.
  28. "SCH au Vélodrome : gros bolides, gros sons et fumigènes étaient au rendez-vous samedi soir". La Provence (in French). 23 July 2023.

43°16′11″N 5°23′45″E

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