Stade Saint-Symphorien

The most recent work started in 2019, aimed at pushing capacity toward 30,000, though the figure printed depends on who is counting — club and press sources have not always agreed on the exact number.

What sets the pitch apart is what is under it. Since the renovation, Saint-Symphorien has played on a hybrid surface built with AirFibr technology: natural grass grown into a base of sand, crushed cork and synthetic fibre, stitched at the edges with synthetic strips. It is a groundskeeper's answer to a Lorraine winter more than a marketing point, designed to hold up under heavy use without the pitch cutting up the way old turf did.