ParisOlder spectators may remember international matches being played at Colombes, but in the early 1972 the French national soccer and rugby teams relocated to the Parc des Princes, a venue dear to the hearts of Frenchmen and women.
However, before it became a major sports venue, as its name suggests the Parc des Princes was a woodland park set aside for princes’ recreational activities. In those days, the park formed part of what is now the Bois de Boulogne woods, until the Emperor Napoleon III decided to place this enormous area under the authority of the City of Paris.
The first velodrome, with seating for 20,000 people, was built there in 1897. Since 1903, this is where the Tour de France has had its finish line. The facility was first renovated in 1931, providing it with a playing field that could cater to both rugby and soccer teams. The stadium’s capacity was raised to 50,000 seats (its current capacity).
The construction of the Paris ring road in 1967 resulted in the destruction of a quarter of the terraces and necessitated the site’s refurbishment. After three years of work, the new Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972 for the French Soccer Cup final between Marseilles and Bastia (2-1).
During its history, the Parc des Princes has been the venue for two Soccer World Cup matches (in 1938 and 1998), and a European Nations soccer championship, with the final victory going to France, which beat Spain (2-0) on 27 June 1984. In total, the Blues have played 127 matches there.
Rugby has been hugely prominent there too, with French championship finals being held there from 1973 to 1997. During this period, the French national team played most of its matches there, with the French rugby players’ sad farewell to the Parc des Princes coming on 22 November 1997, when they played South Africa (10-52).
Since then, the Parc des Princes has been replaced by the Stade de France as the home for international events. The Parc des Princes now belongs to the Paris-Saint-Germain club, which has been in existence since 1973.
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