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Published 06:36 IST, September 20th 2024

Brest's first-ever European goal is scored at home but far from its own stadium

Brest's first-ever goal in European competition was scored at home but far away from its own stadium on Thursday.

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Eric Roy
Brest's head coach Eric Roy reacts during a French League One soccer match between Lyon and Brest at the Groupama stadium, outside Lyon, France | Image: AP

Brest's first-ever goal in European competition was scored at home but far away from its own stadium on Thursday.

Midfielder Hugo Magnetti's half-volley from 20 meters out flew into the bottom right corner in the 23rd minute against Austrian team Sturm Graz in the revamped Champions League .

Quite how many fans in the stadium were Brest fans is uncertain, since the match was not actually held in the quaint Brittany port city.

That's because Brest's stadium did not meet UEFA's requirements and so the club's European home games were re-located to Guingamp's Stade de Roudourou — located roughly 114 kilometers (71 miles) away.

With only 5,000 of Brest's 15,200 seats at Stade Francis-Le Blé stadium meeting UEFA standards, European soccer's governing body approved the 19,000-seat Roudourou.

Brest’s European debut in any competition came after coach Eric Roy led his team to a remarkable third-place finish in the French league last season, despite a small budget. ___

Updated 06:36 IST, September 20th 2024