The Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, in France’s northeast, is set to become the ”Decathlon Arena” following the signing by the French sporting goods manufacturer and retailer of a renewable five-year deal worth €6 million with the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL), which manages the facility. France Bleu first revealed the news on June 7. Ratification of the agreement is expected to occur at the June 24 MEL meeting. The naming rights agreement would take effect at the start of the 2022/23 soccer season. Pierre Mauroy served as the mayor of Lille from 1973 until 2001 and was also prime minister of France from 1981 until 1984 under François Mitterrand. The Lille stadium had been without a sponsor since 2018, after the past naming deals with Crédit Mutuel, Conseil Général du Nord, Nacarat and Carrefour. The 50,000-seat stadium is home to the LOSC (Lille Olympique Sporting Club), a French professional football club that plays in Ligue 1. Decathlon’s corporate headquarters is located in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, just a few hundred meters from the stadium. Decathlon recently announced that Kipsta, its in-house brand of soccer shoes and balls, will supply the official ball for the French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 for the next five seasons.

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