Serious incidents in the relegation of St. Étienne: the ultras invaded the field and threw flares at the rival players

*The best of the play-off that allowed Auxerre to rise and decreed Saint Étienne’s fall

Saint Etienne, one of the three most successful teams in France’s Ligue 1, was relegated again. It was this Sunday after losing the promotion against Auxerre in the second game in which they also tied 1-1, as in the first leg. After an extension came the definition by penalties in which the visitors were more effective and achieved promotion, although the local fans could not bear the defeat and chaos began in the Estadio Geoffroy-Guichardthe same where on June 30, 1998, Argentina also from the twelve steps, eliminated England for the round of 16 of the World Cup in France.

The green cast is one of the most traditional in French football. Beyond their conquests, players like the locals passed through their ranks Michael Platini, Dominique Rocheteau and Laurent Blancthe dutch Johnny Repthe Cameroonian Roger Milla or the remembered Argentine Osvaldo Piazza, among others. But for a few years it has been going through a crisis that ended with another loss of the category.

In the season 2021/2022, of their 38 Ligue 1 games they won 7, drew 11 and lost 20. Finished 18th among 20 teams and that allowed him to play the promotion to have one more chance to stay in the top division. But he came across an Auxerre who arrived in tune and in the first match no differences were drawn and they equalized 1-1.

For the rematch, Saint Ettiene had the support of its public, but it also became pressure and during the week the fans turned on the weather and this Sunday the issue exploded. The visitors took the lead in the 51st minute thanks to Hamza Sakhi, head. Along the same road a quarter of an hour from the end, Mahdi Camara got the tie that remained until the end. There were also no differences in lengthening. This forced a definition from the penalty spot and in the first Ryad Boudebouz he failed and Auxerre scored all.

* The invasion of the public and incidents

Auxerre return to Ligue 1 a decade later. Saint Étienne, one of the teams with the best record in France with ten titles, like PSG and Olympique de Marseillelost the category for the first time since 2005. The last Ligue 1 it obtained was in the 1980/1981 financial year.

Although the issue did not end there. The local fans exploded when they saw their team go down and invaded the field of play that became a human tide that went looking for the footballers and those of Auxerre, who were celebrating inside the field, had to run away, while the ultras They threw flares at him. To contain the disturbances, the Police fired tear gas that reached the footballers themselves.

People ended up leaving the field of play and the definition was marked by these incidents. Now the Saint Étienne will have to work to recover the category, something that already did in other occasions. In Ligue 2 he knew how to be champion three times, 1962/1963, 1998/1999, 2003/2004.

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