METZ: French Ligue 2 champions Metz will spend EUR60 million ($53million) to renovate their stadium and increase its capacity to 30,000 people, the club's president Bernard Serin said on Monday.

Stade Saint-Symphorien currently has a capacity of 26,000 and the original budget for the plans released in March last year has been doubled with the team financing the work alongside local authorities.

"The pitch will be used every day of the year and will provide income which will allow the financing of the extra infrastructure plans," Serin said.

The north-east outfit based near the German border expect the project which will see all four corners of the ground covered to be finished by August 2021.

Metz will return to Ligue 1 for next season after only five losses in one league campaign in the second-tier.