Racing Strasbourg will play its first Conference League playoff on August 21 at Stade de la Meinau — and fans will get their first chance to sit in the renovated south stand, which holds around 12,000 spectators.

Approval arrives a day before

The day before the Brøndby match, the safety commission gave the green light for fans to attend. Capacity is set at 23,300, below the stadium’s final target of 32,000. As of Wednesday, roughly 200 workers were still preparing the venue for the playoff. Ticket data shows we’re close to a full house, including about a thousand Danish fans, said Alain Plet, Racing’s deputy CEO.

Next step: north stand

Work at Stade de la Meinau now focuses on modernizing the north stand, scheduled for completion in November. The final touch will be the installation of 196 solar panels made from old Airbus A340 parts along the south stand’s facade, doubling as sunshades. The renovation is expected to finish by summer 2026.

Budget and funding

Total cost: €160 million. Funding comes from several public bodies and the club: Eurométropole Strasbourg €75.8m, Grand Est region €37.5m, City of Strasbourg €18.8m, Collectivité Européenne d’Alsace €18.8m, and Racing Club de Strasbourg €9.1m.

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— RCSA (@RCSA) May 15, 2025