Euro 2016: Lille mayor, Martine Aubry, and a LOSC representative are defending our future stadium for the Euro 2016. If France wins the bid the Grand stade Lille Métropole may end up hosting several matches. The stadium’s 50,000 seats and modernity make it an ideal candidate. It would definitely bring additional revenue to the city and the club. Great news for our new stadium, which isn’t even finished. Construction starts in 2009, and it is expected to open in 2011. To me it seems pretty early to petition the stadium. Better early than never I guess.

Schmitz to Valenciennes: The negotiations are moving along for Rafaël Schmitz’s transfer to Valenciennes F.C. Schmitz was loaned to Birmingham F.C. last season. ASSE also expressed interest in signing the 28 year old defender. Losing him does not really bother me. He was decent on defense, but not special. Schmitz can be replaced.

Gameiro:It has been a tough fight between Lillle and Marseille to sign Kévin Gameiro. Gameiro is reportedly worth 5 million euros, which complicates things for Les Dogues. I can’t see us signing him for so much money.

Bakari Koné: Puel wants Nice striker Bakari Koné, but the transfer fee isn’t cheap. OGC Nice wants 14 million euros for the Ivorian. Again another price that LOSC management will not be willing to pay. Marseille has jumped on the signing. They are currently finalizing the contract. He should fit in nicely there.

Tony Sylva: Tony Sylva had another clean sheet last Monday in an important World Cup 2010 qualifying match for Sénégal against Gambia. The match ended in a tie 0-0 for Les Lions de la Teranga. He is going to leave Lille during this transfer period. Sylva is still being coveted by several Ligue 1 clubs including Marseille, Toulouse, Nice and Rennes. It will be hard to replace him in goal. I hope the Charles Itandje deal pulls through for us.

Eric Abidal’s transfer from Olympique Lyonnais to Barcelona will actually help out Lille. Supposely when Abidal was transferred to OL from LOSC, a clause called for a payment of 50% of the capital gain on a new transfer. Lille is expected to get around 3 million euros from Abidal’s new transfer. Thank you Abidal.

Lille Métropole Communauté urbaine’s Vice President, and the mayors of Lezennes and Villeneuve d’ Ascq, dicussed a revision of the PLU (Plan local d’urbanisme- local zoning plan) in front of several people recently. Questions were also answered during this meeting. Lille’s new stadium, Grand stade Lille Métropole, is supposed to be built at Villeneuve d’Ascq – Lezennes on the Borne de l’Espoir. The club’s former stadium idea, stade Grimonprez-Joris 2 was rejected, which caused the development of the current plan. Grand stade Lille Métropole’s seating capacity is expected to be 50,000. It also is anticipated to support a sliding roof, and a retractable lawn. Lille’s new stadium has been debated for a very long time now. It has become an arduous topic for the club and its fans. I am not sure if these talks will lead anywhere. It seems to me like it will take awhile for LOSC to obtain a new stadium, which is depressing and realistic.