The ASM team is having a successful season, but the Louis-Il Stadium is struggling to fill up. For the Nantes and Bordeaux games, the club is launching attractive prices: starting at only 2 euros! Against Nice, the Louis-II stadium was full. A rare occasion despite the tariff-reducing efforts of the club.
Against Metz (5-0), there were officially 6,069 spectators at Louis-II. In reality, they were much less since the league automatically counts all season-ticket-holders, even when they do not come to the stadium. With 9,061 spectators on average[1], Louis-Il ranks last place in attendees, behind Dijon, Bastia and Lorient, in spite of an in-house ticketing increase of 15% compared with last year. Incredible for a team that has been playing its finest football in over 10 years. Best European forwards, best home team in League 1 (46 goals in 13 matches), we don’t need be crazy about football to see the talent that is demonstrated every week before our eyes at Louis II.
Nantes and Bordeaux games at 2 euros is a gift
Last year’s games may not have been very interesting, but they turned that around this year. In football everything happens very quickly, and a season does too. It’s simple: there are only six matches left in League 1, which is not very many. This summer, anything can happen. Falcao, Bernardo Silva, Bakayoko, Lemar, Sidibe, Mbappé, Jardim. It’s difficult to know if all this talent will remain in the Principality next season. It would be a pity, once the championship is over, to have missed out on this visual ballet. Especially for the game against Nantes (Sunday the 5th of March, 9 pm) and Bordeaux (Saturday the 11th of March, 4:45 pm), the club offers very attractive prices for spectators: from 2 euros a ticket, but also tickets at 4 euros (second), 6 euros (first lateral) 8 euros (first centre) or 20 euros (honor). A press campaign for the club is using the slogan “best European forwards at the best price”. For two euros, you can buy yourself a poster of League 1, with a team that threads goals like pearls. Monaco’s identity is often linked with the identity of its fans.
For example, for the game against Manchester City, on the 15th of March in the final 8 of the Champions League, the stadium will be packed. On the other hand, for the League 1 games, which are still important to ASM’s season, Louis-Il will be empty. The stadium isn’t too large for the population pool. Overall, all the French clubs in general struggle to fill their seats, not only the ASM.
It would be more understandable if the games on the Rock weren’t spectacular, but that is definitely not the case this year, because every game is an exciting event. In five years, when you look back and realize that Monaco’s current players are playing in the biggest clubs in Europe, you will regret not taking advantage of the visual feast. By May, opportunities for Monegasques in the league will be scarce. Nowadays, it is uncommon to chain collective performances in a sport which can have a lot to do with luck. But this classic Monegasque team has a habit of frequently making successful, improbable plays.
We can watch the slow-motion replays on television but one can appreciate a match differently in person, at a football field. And in ten or twenty years, it will be cool to tell your children about the epic 2016-2017 session, which you saw with your own eyes. For only 2 euros.
[1] Last year, Monaco had an average of 7,838 spectators, 19th place in League 1, they had 7,825 in 2014-2015 and 8,906 in 2013-2014. Compared to 2003-2004, when the average was 10,394.