Before leaving on his winter vacation last week, Olympique Lyonnais President Jean-Michel Aulas stated his wish for Lyon to host the opening match of the Euro 2016 championships.
In an interview with French newspaper Le Progrès the President furthermore noted his good hopes of soon receiving a building permit and laying the foundation stone of Lyon’s new Grand Stade OL. In the last year the club had to overcome several legal challenges to the planned replacement of the current Stade Gerland, which is planned to have a capacity of 56,000 seats and which Lyon hopes to occupy from the start of the 2014/2015 season.
As UEFA requires a 50,000 minimum capacity for a stadium to be able to host the opening match of the European Championships, Lyon’s new stadium will have a good shot for the honour, though competition may come from Marseille, Lille, or possibly even the Stade de France, which is set to host the final. However, Jean-Michel Aulas thinks that the club’s good relationship with the UEFA may be the decider that will work in Lyon’s favour.
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