Football: four things to know about Saint-Étienne, Rodez’s next opponent

Absentees in Sainté

Just like the private Raf of Abdennour, Buadès and Younoussa, ASSE will not be complete this Saturday for the 15th and last day of the championship before the truce for the World Cup in Qatar. Two of its players are already out of the game: Antoine Gauthier and Thomas Monconduit. The latter, very important in midfield, is a real loss for the greens.

Although still uncertain, the two most likely returns to Saint-Etienne on Saturday concern Anthony Briançon, the captain, hit in the thigh and Aïmen Moueffek, sick. “Anthony took a test this morning. We don’t really know where he is, we will see with the doctor and the medical staff. Aïmen will recover from his gastro. See how he will come back. Playing Monday and Saturday, it’s not easy. They are players who need practice”said Laurent Battles about them, Thursday at a press conference.

Two diametrically opposed clubs… And yet!

Rodez. Saint Etienne. These two clubs have nothing to do. One is a little thumb from Ligue 2, who was still in the CFA in 2016, and the other is a historic cador in the French championship. Yes, but here it is. Since this season, Sainté has been playing in the second division, like Raf, and is even just behind him in the standings (19th against 18th). So inevitably, Rodez has grounds for hope. Especially since he eliminated him on his lawn two weeks ago in the Coupe de France on penalties.

Since July 30, and the start of this new exercise, ASSE has been far from being an impregnable fortress, even at home. Indeed, he won only two of his six matches at Geoffroy-Guichard. And he remains on a defeat and a draw in his lair, against Paris FC and Grenoble.

Jean-Philippe Krasso on the start

He is, indisputably, the best player from Saint-Etienne this season. With already 8 goals and 4 assists in 14 Ligue 2 days, of which only 12 have been played, the striker is unanimous in Saint-Etienne.

However, the one who will be at the end of his contract with the Greens next June will not stay long in the Loire. Indeed, according to information from all the local media, starting with France Bleu, Krasso would have refused an offer of extension, with a salary of 20,000 € at the key. If ASSE wants to get a small ticket on this player, he would have to sell him this winter. But according to the local press, we would be heading more for a free start at the end of the season.

A player trained in Saint-Etienne at the World Cup

Wednesday evening, Didier Deschamps announced on the set of TF1 the list of 25 Blues who will fly next week to Qatar to participate in the World Cup. And among them, there is a former member of the green house! Passed by Nice, Marseille and Arsenal, William Saliba, summoned for his first World Cup, was indeed trained in Saint-Etienne, just like a certain Raf player, Nassim Ouammou.