On November 19, the former Ligue 1 team Nîmes’ home ground, the Stade des Costières, has been abandoned for two years. Now, the field is overgrown with weeds and is set to become a municipal asset.
The Stade des Costières, with a seating capacity of 18,364, served as Nîmes’ home ground from 1989 to 2022. This stadium, which cost £133 million, witnessed Nîmes’ brief appearance in Ligue 1 from 2018 to 2020. In 1989, Nîmes set up their home ground here, and their first opponent was Montceau.
In 2022, Nîmes left this location and moved to the more modern Stade Antonin Payan. In 2024, the local government rejected the owner Asaf’s proposal to demolish the Stade des Costières and build a new stadium on the site. It was also reported that if the new stadium is completed, Nîmes would be willing to return to their old grounds in 2026.
According to French media “RMC SPORT,” due to the expiration of the sales agreement, the Stade des Costières will become a city asset of Nîmes. Recently, video footage shared on social media showed that the entire stadium is now overgrown with weeds, some of which have even penetrated the concrete stands.
