Brest to play Champions League knockout games in Guingamp

France’s Champions League surprise package Brest will continue to play home matches in the knockout phase of Europe’s elite club competition in neighbouring Guingamp should they qualify, the club announced on Wednesday.

“The decision to continue this historic Champions League campaign at the Stade de Roudourou was self-evidently the right one,” said Brest club president Denis Le Saint.

Brest, who had never taken part in any European competition before this season, are currently seventh in the 36-team league phase of the Champions League, with 13 points from six games.

With two matches still to play and the top 24 teams all advancing to the knockout phase, Brest are six points better off than French rivals Paris Saint-Germain in 25th position.

That means qualification for at least the play-off round in February is almost guaranteed, while finishing among the top eight would see them advance directly to the last 16.

Brest play Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in Germany on January 22 and then wrap up the league phase with a glamour tie against Real Madrid in Guingamp a week later.

Unable to host Champions League matches at their own Stade Francis-Le Ble because it does not meet UEFA requirements, Brest have so far played matches just over 100 kilometres away at the home of Brittany rivals Guingamp.

There, at a stadium with a capacity of just over 18,000, Brest have beaten both Sturm Graz and PSV Eindhoven, while also holding German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

But further modifications must be made in Guingamp in order for the ground to host Champions League matches, which had led Brest to consider moving to the 80,000-capacity Stade de France, 600 kilometres away just outside Paris.

“The idea, for a time, was to go to the Stade de France in order to satisfy the biggest number of fans but also to grow the club by increasing its visibility, both at a national level and internationally,” said Le Saint in a statement.

“But such a move would be problematic for everyone, including the club’s most faithful supporters.”