Louis II Stadium — Attraction in Monaco

Visiting Monaco’s stadium had been a dream of mine since childhood, I always wanted to see a match there, and I was finally able to go with my kids.

First of all, it’s a beautiful stadium. The entrances are well organized, and there’s plenty of security. But I had a very unusual experience during the Monaco vs. Inter Milan friendly match.

I bought our tickets directly from the official Monaco website. There were three options: seating for Monaco fans, seating for Inter fans, and a neutral zone next to the VIP section. I chose the neutral zone and paid the highest price for those tickets.

When we arrived, security stopped us because of the shirts we were wearing: I had on a Charlotte FC jersey, one of my kids wore an Italy national team jersey, and the other had a Belgium national team jersey. Security told us we couldn’t enter with those shirts. At first, I thought it was a joke. Then, after calling a supervisor and making me wait about 10 minutes (while the match had already started), they insisted I couldn’t go in.

Frustrated, I went to a nearby shop, bought Monaco shirts, and came back. But even then, security told me I couldn’t bring the other jerseys inside, even though they were in a shopping bag. At that point, I lost my patience, argued, and finally a higher-level supervisor gave us clearance to enter. Honestly, it made no sense, and I still don’t understand why they gave us such a hard time. I plan to file a complaint with both AS Monaco and UEFA.

That aside, the stadium itself is amazing to watch a match in. If it didn’t have the running track, you’d feel like you were right on top of the pitch. Despite being small, the crowd atmosphere carries really well and creates a great ambiance for the game.

FRENCH FOOTBALLING ROYALTY In the summer of 2013, after spending two dark years in the second division, Monaco returned to Ligue 1. Funded by the investment of owner Dmitry Rybolovlev, one star after another joined this well-heeled newcomer to the top flight, including James Rodríguez, João Moutinho, Ricardo Carvalho and Anthony Martial. The gamble aimed to make Monaco the leading club in France and take it back into Europe. Historically speaking, AS Monaco, with a strong connection to the principality’s royal family, are one of France’s leading club’s, as their eight league titles bear witness. The club takes the colours of the principality’s crest, and the crown has adorned the club badge since 1949. One of their greatest successes came in 2004 when the club surprised the world of football by finishing Champions League runners-up behind Porto. With players like Fernando Morientes, Ludovic Giuly and Patrice Evra, Monaco had knocked out both Chelsea and Real Madrid on their way to the final. The foundations of these successes were laid under Arsène Wenger’s reign between 1987 and 1994. That was when Monaco became a great name in Europe. Led by top players like George Weah, Jürgen Klinsmann and Lilian Thuram, they won domestic titles and enjoyed success in the Cup Winners’ Cup.

CLUB: AS Monaco FC NICKNAME: Les Rouges et Blancs (the Red and Whites) FOUNDED: 1924 STADIUM: Stade Louis II, Monaco (18,523 capacity) HISTORIC PLAYERS: Jean-Luc Ettori, Claude Puel, Delio Onnis, George Weah, Lilian Thuram, Youri Djorkaeff and Thierry Henry

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring for Monaco in 2016. The crown has adorned the club crest since 1949 when Prince Rainier III offered his family suppport for the club.

The second smallest state in the world, covering only 2.02 square kilometers, has an architecturally innovative and modern sports stadium. This, in addition to football and athletics matches, hosts basketball matches at a top European level, swimming events in an Olympic pool dimensions, as well as volleyball, handball, boxing, judo and fencing matches, and its premises are used for concerts and various other cultural events. This impressive sports complex is located at the most south-eastern tip of Monaco where the French territory officially begins.

The existing stadium replaced the former stadium of the same name which had been in operation since 1939. This radical reconstruction was decided in 1979 by Prince Rainier III who, seeking the contribution of the famous architect Henri Pottier, saw the construction of the stadium begin in 1981 and to be completed in 1984.

Today, it is home to the Monaco football team (AS Monaco FC), the city's basketball team (AS Monaco Basket), all the other sports club divisions, and also the national teams of the Principality. It is worth noting that the football / athletics stadium has a capacity of 18,523 fans, while the basketball court (Salle Gaston Médecin) located under the stands of the stadium can accommodate 4,600 spectators. Finally, the swimming pool and other sports facilities are also located under the stands.