Charmilles no more

By Svend Frandsen

A 4-4 draw on Sunday 8 December between Servette FC and BSC Young Boys in the Swiss Nationalliga A brought down the curtain on the remarkable story of the Charmilles stadium.

Sentimental farewell
Hosts Servette had to come back from a 4-1 deficit and scored twice in a dramatic final few minutes through Goran Obradovic and Alexander Frei to earn at a sentimental share of the spoils. "We simply couldn't say goodbye to the stadium with a defeat," said an ecstatic defender Sébastian Fournier as the post-match celebrations kicked off.

Symbolic bond
Renowned figures like Lucien Favre, Jean Jacques Tillmann, Bernard Challandes were all present to bid a fond farewell to the old stadium. Meanwhile, to symbolise the bond between the Charmilles and the new Stade de Genève, a piece of the pitch was dug up by former Swiss international goalkeeper Marco Pascolo and Jacky Barlie which will be placed in the new stadium at its inauguration in March.

Historic stadium
One of the smallest of the 22 football stadiums in Switzerland, the Charmilles was built in 1930 and its capacity of 9,250, well below the level acceptable to host UEFA matches, is one of the principal reasons the old ground is to be closed. Nevertheless, the Charmilles possessed a unique charm and historic feel that won it a place in many fans' hearts.

Stadium costs
The newly developed Stade de Genève, which will open its gates on 14 March 2003, will enjoy a 30,000 capacity which corresponds to the minimum UEFA limit in order to be able stage UEFA Champions League or UEFA European Championship matches. Of the stadium's estimated €59m costs, 61 per cent are being provided by Credit Suisse and Jelmoli with the remainder being covered by public funds.

Ambitious project
The stadium is just one part of an ambitious urban project which will also see a new shopping and leisure complex being developed by the Jelmoli Group in the Praille area of Geneva. The group will finance and develop the infrastructure surrounding the stadium, which will offer all the necessary amenities expected of modern-day stadia.

EURO 2008 matches
There will be 22 hospitality suites, for up to ten people each, as well as over 200 advertising sites throughout the stadium. As well as football matches, including ties at UEFA EURO 2008 which Switzerland is co-hosting with Austria, the Stade de Genève will also play host to other forms of entertainment, with boxing matches, rugby games and various music festivals all under consideration.