Stade Geoffroy-Guichard

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the 1984 European Football Championship, the Football World Cup 1998 and the Confederations Cup 2003. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is nicknamed "le Chaudron" (the Cauldron), or "l'enfer vert" (the Green Hell), an allusion to the colours worn by the local football team, AS Saint-Étienne, given during the team's heyday when it drew particularly large crowds (the record being set in 1985, with more than 47,000 spectators). More recently, its current capacity was 35,616 before the current renovations, which began in 2011 and have temporarily reduced this figure to 26,747. When the renovations are finished, the stadium will hold 42,000 seated spectators.The stadium opened on 13 September 1931, and AS Saint-Étienne's first match there took place on 17 September against FAC Nice. The stadium was named after Geoffroy Guichard, founder of the Casino retail group, who purchased the site on which it was built.DescriptionThe stadium holds 35,616 people. It is built in the "English style", meaning that there are no corner stands. The four stands are named: Charles Paret : 8,541 seats Jean Snella : 8,767 seats Pierre Faurand : 7,993 seats, including 18 boxes and 1,200 VIP seats Henri Point : 10,315 seats, including 1,200 for visiting fans The stadium has been renovated at several points during its history. The biggest renovations came in 1984 (for the European Football Championships) and in 1998 (for the World Cup). The stadium's capacity over time has been as follows: 1,800 (1931) 5,000 (1935) 15,000 (1938) 25,000 (1957) 39,570 (1968) 48,274 (including 22,200 seated) (1984) 35,616 (all seated) (1998) 42,000 (2015)