Former top flight stadium left abandoned and overgrown just two years after club last played a game there

A FORMER top-flight European stadium has been near abandoned and overgrown.

The Stade des Costieres was the aged location of French outfit Nimes Olympique.

The nine played astatine the 18,364-capacity crushed betwixt 1989 and 2022.

The £133milllion stadium hosted the nine for their 2 Ligue 1 seasons betwixt 2018 and 2020.

It was designed by architects Marc Chausee and Vittorio Gregotti with the second besides being the antheral down the Luigi Ferraris Stadium successful Genoa, Italy.

Nimes moved into the crushed successful 1989 and played their archetypal crippled determination against Montcaeu successful the French 2nd division.

However, the nine near the stadium successful 22 for a caller modern transitional stadium, the 8,033-capcity Stade des Antonins.

In 2024, the metropolis refused the proprietor Rani Assaf a licence to demolish the crushed successful bid to physique a caller stadium connected the site.

The nine was reportedly hoping to instrumentality to the stadium successful 2026 with it rebuilt.

However, owed to the denial, the enactment has yet to commence connected its renovation.

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RMC Sport person claimed that the stadium volition go the spot of the City of Nimes owed to the extremity of a income agreement.

The statement is acceptable to expire connected December 31, but it is claimed that Assaf has not provided impervious of funds.

This means that the stadium volition go a municipal facility.

A caller video of the authorities of the crushed has gone viral connected societal media.

The clip shows the transportation wholly overgrown and roots coming done the factual successful the stands.

The existent sports delegate for Nimes metropolis hall, Nicolas Rainville, has claimed that the nine volition instrumentality to the ground.

He said: "I archer you and I corroborate it to you, Nimes Olympique volition play again successful a Costières stadium renovated to Ligue 1 standards."

Nimes presently play successful the 3rd part of French football, the Championnat National.

They are 12th successful the division, having won 3 of their opening 12 fixtures to the season.