France
Stade de Gerland
Stade de Gerland is the principal sporting hub of the city of Lyon. Situated
in the Gerland quarter, it is presently used by French football giants
Olympique Lyonnais. It hosted several 2007 Rugby World Cup matches. Work
began on the stadium, designed by Lyon resident Tony Garnier, in 1913. The
construction soon halted because of the First World War. After the war ended,
construction restarted in 1919. The stadium was fully functional by 1920.
Renovations were needed to prepare the stadium for the 1998 FIFA World Cup,
as by that time FIFA had mandated that all stadiums used for international
matches, including the FIFA World Cup, had to be all-seated. The north and
south stands were completely knocked down and rebuilt, and the athletics
track that had remained even after the cycling track had been removed was
taken out. Tragedy struck during the 2003 Confederations Cup semi-final at
the stadium between Cameroon and Colombia, as Cameroon midfielder
Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed on the pitch and died shortly afterwards in the
hospital.
