Football Travel: AS Monaco

Guest writer Andrew Williams reflects on a Sunday evening Ligue 1 match at Stade Louis II, home of AS Monaco. Along with 7,649 home and just a handful of away supporters, he witnessed a brace from then 18-year-old Kylian Mbappé, as a youthful Monaco swept away visiting Nantes.

Visitors travelling to Monaco by rail arrive underground at Gare de Monaco-Monte-Carlo. The first thing visitors see is a small chapel called Saint Devote. Shadowed by cliffs and apartment blocks, it’s just meters away from the first corner of the Formula One circuit before it heads uphill along Avenue d’Ostende towards Casino de Monte-Carlo.

Monaco has a glamorous reputation, but it isn’t paradise. It’s not like picturesque Saint Tropez, Èze, or Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Yes, the principality is where the money’s at, but that comes at a cost. It has the highest cost-per-square-metre property prices in the world, which has resulted in tower blocks cramped into tight spaces around Port Hercules.

About football in Monaco

Football doesn’t feel important in Monaco. It’s only a side note, with the famous casino, revving supercars, flashy superyachts, and stylish boutiques the centre of attention.

To get to the stadium in the Fontvieille district from the harbour at Port Hercules use Google Maps, because Monaco is hilly and it takes you up a number of escalators, and across multiple pedestrian bridges. Look down, because you’ll likely see Ferraris and Lamborghinis crawling frustratingly along at the speed limit.

The quickest route to the stadium takes you through tunnels, sleepy shopping centres and quiet, leafy gardens. You’ll see supercar showrooms and, until you turn the corner to be within sight of the ground, you probably wouldn’t even guess there’s a match happening at all.

The walk is a world apart from Warwick Road outside Old Trafford or Wembley Way. Where you’ll bump into loudmouth fans eating molten pies and sipping basic lager, and dodge fanzine sellers and police officers on horseback.

The footballing culture is vastly different from the rest of Europe. It’s the antithesis of Olympique de Marseille, whose Stade Vélodrome is – in my view – the most atmospheric arena in France. Stade Louis II, with a capacity of just 18,000, is perhaps the least atmospheric.

The matchday experience at AS Monaco

5 March, 2017

AS Monaco had the points sealed by halftime, after a Kylian Mbappé brace and a Valère Germain header put the game beyond visiting Nantes in a show of class and strength at Stade Louis II.

AS Monaco scored four without reply. Brazilian central midfielder Fabinho capped a tidy display with the final goal from the spot in the second half. Under the glittering Riviera floodlights, it’s notable that even without leading scorer Radamel Falcão, Leonardo Jardim’s team still cantered to victory.

Young striker Mbappé is intelligent, and is more than just raw pace. He has a striker’s instinct. For the opener, he hit a difficult volley through the goalkeeper’s legs, after an excellent slaloming run from Bernardo Silva down the right.

Central midfielders Tiémoué Bakayoko and Fabinho were strong in midfield, although mistakes crept in during the second half. However, the points were never in doubt, with Nantes repeatedly failing to test AS Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subašić.

It was all too easy the end. Mbappe, Bakayoko, Fabinho, Bernardo Silva, and Thomas Lemar had it all their own way. The team, built on sheer exuberance of youth, is strong, but how long will it be before it’s broken up?

The purists will hope these players stay on the French Riviera to further their own development, and for another shot at the Champions League before Europe’s biggest clubs come knocking.

How to get to the Stade Louis II, AS Monaco

The nearest airport to Monaco is in Nice, which is a short train ride away from Gare de Monaco-Monte-Carlo. On this occasion, I travelled by train from Milan, with the train travelling through Genoa and San Remo, taking just over five hours.

In 2018/19, attendances at Stade Louis II have averaged just 8,475, the lowest in Ligue 1 behind Angers SCO and Amiens SC. By comparison, Marseille and Lyon, both average above forty-seven thousand, the two highest in France.

AS Monaco match tickets are sold online and are easy to come by. They’re cheap too; for just €13 you can sit right behind the dugouts, and next to the press and players not in the matchday squad.

Some of this post originally appeared on the Hopeless Football Romantic website but has since been taken down.