Stade Gerland Football Stadium was the home ground of the French Ligue 1 club Olypique Lyonnais. The stadium was built in 1914 by the famous Lyon architect Tony Garnier, which makes it one of the oldest stadiums in France and so venerable that it belongs to the list of national Historical Monuments. Olympique Lyonnais has played at the Stade de Gerland since 1950, the year of the club’s foundation.
Currently Gerland Stadium is the venue of the second division rugby team Lyon University Club (LOU). The Olympique Lyonnais moved to a larger stadium in the Lyon suburb of Décines 12km east of the city centre, called Groupama Stadium.
The new ground has a capacity of 59,000 seats. It includes state-of-the-art sporting facilities, two hotels, a leisure center, and commercial and business offices.
The nearest hotels are located in Décines-Charpieu, just a 20-minute drive from the City Centre, a 15km away from the airport. Cheaper rooms are offered by larger hotel chains such as Campanile and Kyriad.
Olympique Lyon is one of the most popular clubs of France, together with Olympique Marseille, PSG in Paris, Lille football club, and Girondines de Bordeaux. The team plays in the French Ligue 1 or Le Championnat. Lyon is one of the most popular and succesful football clubs in France.
