The press conference announcing the launch of the restructuring and extension of the Meinau stadium, as well as the details of its implementation, was held this morning in one of the stadium’s hospitality areas, in the presence of Pia Imbs, president of the Eurometropole of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, mayor of Strasbourg, Franck Leroy, president of the Grand Est Region, Jean-Philippe Maurer, vice-president of the European Collectivity of Alsace and Marc Keller, president of the Racing Club of Strasbourg Alsace.
‘’We are very pleased to announce the launch of the work together,” said Pia Imbs, President of the Eurometropole of Strasbourg. ‘’We know how important this project is for our region and for the influence of our city. This stadium is a unifying marker for our territory.’’
Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg, insisted on the “emblematic” aspect of this project. “This stadium has been an integral part of life in Strasbourg for a century. Renovating the Meinau makes perfect sense! We are keeping the stadium in the heart of the city and making it a facility that will improve the lives of the inhabitants of the Meinau district. It will be an exemplary project from an environmental and social point of view.’’
“In order for Racing to develop, it must be given additional resources, especially in an ultra-competitive football environment. This stadium will transform the Meinau area. It goes beyond the field and the stands. The Region had to support this project which, we hope, will allow Racing to develop,” continued Franck Leroy, President of the Grand Est Region.’’
Jean-Philippe Maurer, Vice President of the European Collectivity of Alsace, emphasized the “heart” of Racing. “Racing is a common cause that federates people with each other. The Meinau is a heart of life with a lot of positive energy that emerges. The history of the club was written very early on at the Meinau and will continue to resonate for a long time.”
“This is a very symbolic announcement,” concludes Marc Keller. “For us, it’s a major step forward, a capital step! Renovating the Meinau means building the Racing of tomorrow,” he insisted before thanking all the local authorities. “Unity has been our strength since 2016.”
The project, worth a total of €160 million excluding tax, is co-financed by the Strasbourg Eurometropolis (€75.8 million), the Grand-Est Region (€37.5 million), the City of Strasbourg (€18.8 million), the Collectivité Européenne d’Alsace (€18.8 million) and the Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (€9.1 million). Racing will also finance the development of the commercial spaces for an amount of €14 million.
Work will begin in June 2023 with the extension of the South Stand. It will then continue with the restructuring of the South and West stands and the development of the Fan Zone (from the summer of 2024 to the summer of 2025), the restructuring of the North and East stands and the completion of the Fan Zone (from the summer of 2025 to the end of 2025) and, finally, the restructuring of the East stand and the laying of the pitch (from the beginning of 2026 to the summer of 2026), for delivery in the summer of 2026 (final capacity: 32,000 seats). During the works, the capacity of the stadium will never be less than 19,000 seats.
