Cash-strapped city ends Euro 2016 bid

STRASBOURG has pulled out of its bid to host games in the Euro 2016 football championships as it cannot afford to renovate the Meinau stadium.

Mayor Roland Ries said they had to withdraw as the town’s football club, Racing Club de Strasbourg, had been relegated to the National, the third division, and was in no position to help finance the rebuilding work needed.

The work to bring the 24,000- seat stadium up to UEFA standards with an additional 12,000 seats would have cost €160 million and, after the city’s plea for extra government support was snubbed, Strasbourg would have had to pay €130m.

Strasbourg’s pull-out leaves eleven grounds still in the running to host games – nine will be chosen with two remaining in reserve from: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Nice, Paris (Parc des Princes), Paris Saint-Denis (Stade de France), Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.

Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon and Nice are building new stadiums for the championships while the other seven will be renovated