Brest’s first European goal scored at home, but far from its stadium

Brest’s first goal in European competition was scored on Thursday at home, but far away from their home stadium.

Midfielder Hugo Magnetti’s half-volley from 20 metres fell into the bottom right corner in the 23rd minute against Austrian side Sturm Graz in the restructured Champions League.

It is uncertain how many fans in the stadium were Brest fans, as the match was not actually held in the quaint Brittany port city.

This was because Brest’s stadium did not meet UEFA requirements and so the club’s European home games were moved to the Stade de Roudourou in Guingamp – located approximately 114 kilometres (71 mi) away.

Only 5,000 of the 15,200 seats at Brest’s Stade Francis-Le Blé stadium met UEFA’s standards, so European football’s governing body approved the 19,000-seat Rudoru.

Brest’s European debut in any competition came after coach Eric Roy led his team to third place in the French league last season despite a small budget.