Stade Armand Cesari
Encyclopedia
Stade Armand-Cesari is a multi-purpose stadium
in Bastia
, France
. It is currently used mostly for football
matches of SC Bastia
. The stadium is able to hold 10,460 people and opened in 1932.
It was the venue of the first leg of the 1978 UEFA Cup Final
, which saw a 0-0 tie between SC Bastia
and the Dutch-side
PSV Eindhoven. Eventually, PSV won the Final with a 3-0 victory in their home Philips Stadion
.
, the draw gave Bastia a match against Olympique de Marseille
, the Division 1
leader at the time.
In order to receive more fans, the club board decided to create a temporary terrace instead of the Old Tribune Claude Papi
which could only contain 750 fans. The new capacity of the terrace was 10,000. (Total of the stadium : 18,000)
At 8:20 p.m., the whole structure collapsed, with supporters and journalists in the wreckage. Every medical option on the island was exhumed. The victims were eventually evacuated to the mainland, incluidng Marseille. The Poretta Airport was quoted as resembling more of a hospital than an airport that night.
After the disaster, the FFF
decided -not without hesitations- to cancel the remaining matches in the Cup.
On the 12th, the investigators made the conclusions that lots of infractions to the rules have been committed concerning the terrace (on its construction, on the attitude of the sports and administration executives and on the cost of the tickets).
All these constatations lead to the conclusion of the investigation "Le soir du 5 mai, il n'y a pas eu de fatalité . (There has been no fate the night of the 5th May)".
Ultimately, on the trial a year later, the main protagonists were proved guilt but were only condemned to less than 2-years of jail.
For the 100th anniversary of the club, the for terraces have been renamed :
- North Terrace : Tribune Claude Papi
- East Terrace : Tribune Jojo Petrignani
- South Terrace : Tribune Victor Lorenzi
- West Terrace : Tribune Pierre Cahuzac
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Bastia
Bastia
Bastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is currently used mostly for football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches of SC Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
. The stadium is able to hold 10,460 people and opened in 1932.
It was the venue of the first leg of the 1978 UEFA Cup Final
1978 UEFA Cup Final
The 1978 UEFA Cup Final was a football match played on 26 April 1978 and 9 May 1978 between PSV Eindhoven of Netherlands and SC Bastia of France. PSV Eindhoven won the two matches 3–0 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:...
, which saw a 0-0 tie between SC Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
and the Dutch-side
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
PSV Eindhoven. Eventually, PSV won the Final with a 3-0 victory in their home Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre....
.
The Furiani Disaster
The stadium is mostly known for the Furiani disaster, which took place on the 5th of May 1992 when one of the four terraces fell, causing the death of 18 persons and injuring more than 2,300 others.The Background
After a road to the semi-final of the Coupe de France 1991-92Coupe de France 1991-92
The Coupe de France 1991-1992 was its 75th edition. For the first since its creation, the final was unplayed due to Furiani disaster. Thus, the trophy has no winner.-Round of 16:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-----References:*...
, the draw gave Bastia a match against Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, the Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
leader at the time.
In order to receive more fans, the club board decided to create a temporary terrace instead of the Old Tribune Claude Papi
Claude Papi
Claude Papi is a former football midfielder from France, who earned three caps for the French national team during the late 1970s....
which could only contain 750 fans. The new capacity of the terrace was 10,000. (Total of the stadium : 18,000)
The Match Day
One hour before the start of the match, problems were already noticeable, such as the instability of the structure.At 8:20 p.m., the whole structure collapsed, with supporters and journalists in the wreckage. Every medical option on the island was exhumed. The victims were eventually evacuated to the mainland, incluidng Marseille. The Poretta Airport was quoted as resembling more of a hospital than an airport that night.
After the Disaster
On the 8th May, an instruction begins in order to prove the responsibilities of anyone.After the disaster, the FFF
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
decided -not without hesitations- to cancel the remaining matches in the Cup.
On the 12th, the investigators made the conclusions that lots of infractions to the rules have been committed concerning the terrace (on its construction, on the attitude of the sports and administration executives and on the cost of the tickets).
All these constatations lead to the conclusion of the investigation "Le soir du 5 mai, il n'y a pas eu de fatalité . (There has been no fate the night of the 5th May)".
Ultimately, on the trial a year later, the main protagonists were proved guilt but were only condemned to less than 2-years of jail.
Furiani today
Since the Disaster, the Stadium is in a long wait of being rebuilt. The Tribune Nord has been rebuilt in 1997, before Bastia could play again in a European Cup (1997–98 UEFA Cup).For the 100th anniversary of the club, the for terraces have been renamed :
- North Terrace : Tribune Claude Papi
Claude Papi
Claude Papi is a former football midfielder from France, who earned three caps for the French national team during the late 1970s....
- East Terrace : Tribune Jojo Petrignani
- South Terrace : Tribune Victor Lorenzi
- West Terrace : Tribune Pierre Cahuzac
Pierre Cahuzac
Pierre Cahuzac was a French association football midfielder. After retiring he became a manager, and led SC Bastia to the 1978 UEFA Cup Final.His grandson Yannick Cahuzac is a professional footballer.-References:*...