There's plenty of stuff to do in Liege – Belgium's cultural hub. However, if you are a football fanatic, you might want to check out a match in the Standard de Liege football stadium. Check their website, to see when the home team is playing. It is a fantastic experience to meet the locals in their scene and watch high-quality football.
Standing for more than 100 years
The stadium Stade Maurice Dufrasne also known as Stade de Sclessin, located in Liege's district of such name, was opened back in 1909. The stadium can hold up to 27,670 people and is the home stadium of the local team, the Standard Liege. It was named after Maurice Dufrasne, who was Chairman of the Standard Liege from 1909 until 1931. Rumor has it that he would take players home and cook them a nice meal if they had performed well at the field. He is remembered with esteem among the members of the club, and that's the main reason that the stadium is named after him. The stadium had humble beginnings. It had only a football pitch and the players changed in the nearby pub. After one year, a canteen and changing rooms were built. In 1923, it was bought by the Standard team who began constructing the structure we see today. The much-loved stadium has been developed and restored through the years.
Stadium facts
The stadium was one of the venues for the 1972 championship, hosting the match for third place between Belgium and Hungary. Belgium beat Hungary 2-1. In 2000, the three first round of group matches of the Euro 2000 was played at the newly renovated stadium. The national Belgian football team played against Estonia in 2008 for the World Cup Qualifier of 2010, in what was one of the best demonstrations of the team skills. They also played recently against Gibraltar in 2017 for the 2018 World Cup qualifier.
The history of the football club
The club was founded in 1898 by Belgian students of the city of Liege, who believed the city must have its own football team. The team has been called the Standard de Liege from the its inception. The team grew to become the third largest Belgian club behind Anderlecht and Bruges. They have won since 1954, 10 Champion titles, and 7 cups of Belgium tournament. Some of the big football players worth mentioning are Roger Petit, Andre Riouls, Rene Hauss, among others.
Getting there
The stadium is located on the west banks of the river Meuse, five kilometers from the city center of Liege. From the main railway station take buses 2, 3 or 27 to reach the stadium doors.
