Everything seemed newly painted but not the newest infrastructure beyond that first layer…read more Appallingly bad local staffers but friendly locals. We came to this stadium by fast TGV train to see Germany vs Australia women's soccer in the initial rounds of Olympics. 4 star stadium: relatively easy to get to from train station with a subway ride and long walk, or short bus trip. It can be a little confusing since apparently it's called Stad Marseilles for the Olympics and the Orange Vélodrome name is gone. It seemed to be an older stadium that had a lot cosmetic rebuilding / repainting. The playing field was in good shape ( or so it seemed from the cheap seats : ) 3 star service / staffing ( 1 star staffers/ 5 star friendly cops, explained below): The onsite staff, judging by several different experiences, seemed borderline hostile. A friendly local policeman gave us pointers on directions and touring about town. He also said he wanted to practice English and laughed at the rude staffers. One star for the in house folks, 5 stars for the friendly (and hot) cop.

what it is, yo? what's up?…read moreevery stadium needs a rugby thug every cup team needs a little love if they're down, imma pick them up, up, up! once every 4 years, rugby world cup fever hits. 2019, was in tokyo. 2023, despite all odds of not making this whirlwind trip, marseille and i reacquainted! finding the way to this stadium was a challenge! although we had hospitality tickets and free parking right at the stadium, the short journey from hotel to stadium took forever! poor signage led us round and round but never really getting there. finally, sought guidance from a female police officer and she gave just enough clarity on how to reach our destination. right under the stadium we ended. from there onwards, the access to the hospitality suites was smooth sailing. finger food and alcohol flowed freely! entertainment in the form of ex rugby internationals gracing and mingling at pre game sessions. direct access to clean toilets and all but just a step out into the stadium proper! comfy and central seats away from the setting sun too! the rows of seats were also well spaced for easy ingress and egress. acoustics echoed fan anthems with dolby surround effect for an atmosphere worthy of the rugby world cup games played here. half time, post game food and drinks made it easy not wanting to leave any earlier. also perfect for the crowd to dissipate for an easy exit thereafter. only the cup final game in paris remain. au revoir, marseille! till 2027, aussie, aussie, aussie!