Jean-Luc Moudenc, the mayor of Toulouse, has acknowledged that his flagship campaign promise to expand the Stadium de Toulouse from around 33,000 to 43,000 seats is no longer an immediate priority, as Toulouse FC's new leadership turns its attention elsewhere and French football grapples with tightening finances.
The expansion of the stadium, which sits on the Ile du Ramier along the Garonne river, was one of the most prominent commitments of Moudenc's municipal election campaign. Widening the venue by roughly 10,000 seats had been billed as a way to raise the profile of both the city and its resident football club.
Last November, Moudenc struck a determined tone, saying it was time to stop talking about the project and actually build it. Since being reelected as mayor, however, he has adopted a markedly more cautious line on the extension.
A club no longer in a hurry
In an interview with La Dépêche published Thursday, Moudenc first recalled the condition he had set during the campaign: that nothing could go ahead without the resident club, meaning Toulouse FC. But since the departure of former club president Damien Comolli, he said, the project has clearly stopped being a priority for the club.
Moudenc said the club's new president, Olivier Cloarec, has a notably different outlook on the issue than his predecessor. Cloarec is said to prefer concentrating the club's resources on finishing its performance centre, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Moudenc described that choice as "unquestionably" the right one.
French football's financial strain
The stalled project comes as French football clubs face financial pressure from falling revenue tied to television broadcasting rights, a trend that has squeezed budgets across the top division. According to Moudenc, Toulouse FC's president told him clearly that expanding the stadium could not be on the agenda for now. Moudenc said he now understands that the issue is simply not current for the club.
Not officially shelved
Moudenc insisted the project has not been formally abandoned. He said the city would revisit the issue once circumstances change and the club has prospects it does not currently have.
Even so, several obstacles now stand in the way. A former prefect raised concerns over the summer about constraints linked to the site's location in a flood-risk zone, Toulouse Métropole's finances remain tight, and the club itself has shown little urgency to move the project forward. Taken together, those factors mean the planned expansion to 43,000 seats now appears to have been pushed back to an indefinite horizon.
Toulouse FC currently competes in Ligue 1, France's top professional football division. The Stadium de Toulouse, also known as the Stadium Municipal, has previously hosted matches during the 1998 World Cup and the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
