i By increasing capacity to 35,500 seats, the Stade de la Mosson is taking a big step and joining France's family of large stadiums. The facility, built in 1988, has since its construction undergone a series of transformations that parallel the ascent of its home team     La MOSSON stadium figures Location: In the La Paillade quarter, 4 km from downtown, in Northwest Montpellier First inaugurated: 1988 (when Montpellier ascended back into 1st division) Capacity before renovation: 23,500 places, of which 7,500 standing Capacity in 1998: 35,500 seats   ALTERATIONS Renovation operations:   Standing places to be converted into seats. Changing rooms and lighting, sound, scoreboard and videosurveillance system to be brought up to World Cup standards. Reconstruction operations: New Press Centre, Official Salon and multi-level VIP stands (Aigoual, Cévennes, Gévaudan, Méditerranée) to be built, for a total of 1,600 seats. Date of completion: June 4, 1998 Architect: Cabinet BBA Denis BEDEAU and Philippe BONON       i The other stadiums i i i i i

i i       Photos SAOLA MONTPELLIER: A bad time for the Romanians... Inaugurated in 1988 when the local club was promoted back among France's foremost clubs in the first division, the Stade de la Mosson has, as yet, hosted only a handful of big international games. But winning the French Cup in 1990 meant that Montpellier's supporters were treated to some heady nights of European football in the Cup-Winners Cup the following season. Conquerors of mighty PSV Eindhoven in the first round, Montpellier were up against the Romanians from Steaua Bucharest in the round of sixteen. In the home leg at Montpellier, the Romanians, who started as favourites, had to retrieve the ball from the back of their net no less than 5 times! And their nightmare continued a fortnight later in Bucharest when Montpellier dished out another 3-0 trouncing.