This is not the first time that AS Saint-Étienne finds itself in a dramatic situation. As in 1997 or 1998, at the start of 2003, ASSE is sailing through troubled waters, tossed by the headwinds of a recent history made up of disillusionment, internal crises and unfulfilled promises. But this evening of January 29, 2003, against a modest Gueugnon teamthe Greens will reach a breaking point rarely equaled. Story of one of the saddest, most humiliating matches in the club’s history.
Corsican Frédéric Antonetti was called to the rescue at ASSE in October 2001 to replace Alain Michel, dismissed from his position after a failed start to the championship. The club, just relegated to Division 2 after a rotten season due to the fake passport affair, then drags the weight of a fallen institution like a ball and chain. The objective is clear, stated, almost hammered out: find the elite as quickly as possible.
But the reality is quite different. With only 9 points after several days, ASSE is languishing in a worrying 16th place tied, counting the same number of units as the last in the ranking. The humiliating defeat in Beauvais (0-3), against a direct competitor, acts like an electric shock. The dismissal of Alain Michel becomes inevitable. Antonetti arrives with his reputation as a man of character, a hard worker, supposed to restore order to a green house already cracked on all sides.
Antonetti has not found the miracle recipe
The end of the 2001-2002 season, however, will only be a long journey of the cross. The Greens finished 13th, very far from the initial objective, without ever really giving the impression of being able to make the climb. Hope was timidly reborn in the summer of 2002, but the 2002-2003 financial year quickly became a continuation of previous mistakes. Antonetti is still looking for the right formula, making multiple attempts, changing systems and players, without succeeding in giving a clear identity to his team.
In mid-January 2003, the observation was overwhelming: Saint-Étienne was trailing at the bottom of the rankings. Despite two matches late, the club is dangerously flirting with the relegation zone. The Greens are in a worrying 17th place tied, with only five victories on the clock. Doubt has settled in for a long time, both in the heads of the players and in those of the supporters.
The reception of Gueugnon, 19th in the ranking, as part of the 23rd day, then appears to be a perfect opportunity to get back on track, to get some fresh air, to get away from this cursed red zone. On paper, the match ticks all the boxes of the meeting not to be missed. On the ground, it will turn into an absolute nightmare.
The ordeal of ASSE
Frédéric Antonetti decides to modify his starting eleven after the new disillusionment conceded to Reims (0-1), another declared candidate for maintenance. David Hellebuyck returns to the starting team, theoretically bringing his technical quality and his percussion to the left side. Fabrice Jau, on loan from Bastia, is playing his very first match in the green jersey, in the hope of strengthening a midfielder in great pain.
Conversely, Alassane N’Dour leaves the starting lineup, while Lilian Compan, unavailable, is out. Patrick Guillou remains a substitute. He is clearly closeted, at odds with his coach, and his future at the club already seems compromised. The captain’s armband goes to Patrice Carteron, responsible for ringing out the revolt, supported by Julien Sablé, the embodiment of combativeness, and by Jérémie Janot, the last rampart and symbol of a club adrift.
But very quickly, hopes are dashed. In front of barely 10,000 courageous spectators who braved the freezing cold, in a Geoffroy-Guichard stadium which rang hollow, ASSE was caught from the start. In the 10th minute, the Gueugnonnais Léglise, perfectly launched in depth, rushes into a beleaguered Saint-Etienne defense. Too slow, too naive, she gets pierced like butter. Facing Janot, the attacker did not tremble and opened the scoring. 0-1. Already.
Snow comes to Geoffroy-Guichard
As if to accentuate the dramatic nature of the evening, gusts of snow suddenly fall on Geoffroy-Guichard’s lawn. The terrain becomes slippery, the playing conditions dantic. The match takes on the appearance of an apocalyptic scene, a perfect reflection of the club’s sporting situation. But paradoxically, it is the Burgundians who seem to adapt best to these extreme conditions.
Saint-Étienne, already lacking in confidence, completely lost its footing. Shortly before the half-hour mark, Téophile took advantage of lax marking, absent defense and a glaring lack of aggressiveness to score Gueugnon’s second goal, almost without opposition. 0-2. The public whistles, anger rumbles, but more than rage, it is an immense weariness that emerges from the stands.
The Greens are overwhelmed in all areas of the game. Unable to line up three passes, without revolt, without soul, they give the impression of a team on the verge of mental breakdown. However, just before the break, an incredible twist of fate seemed to reach out to them. On a confused action, David Hellebuyck is mowed down in the area. The referee designates the penalty spot. An unexpected opportunity to get back on track.
Patrice Carteron sets off. The captain strikes… and sees his attempt repelled by the Gueugnon goalkeeper on the crossbar. The ball miraculously returns to him, and the goalkeeper catches it in cathedral silence. The symbol is terrible. Nothing smiles at the Greens. Absolutely nothing.
A hopeless second half for ASSE
The break doesn’t change anything. Antonetti tries everything by successively launching Frédéric Mendy, Alassane N’Dour then Patrick Guillou, who makes one wonder what he is doing in this mess as the gap with his trainer seems deep. But in still harsh climatic conditions, these changes do not bring any notable improvement.
Worse still, Saint-Étienne will concede a third goal, the logical consequence of a team cut in two, without benchmarks, without solidarity. The score is now clear: 0-3. The match is over, the Cauldron is silent, frozen in a sort of collective stupor.
To end this nightmarish evening, the referee whistles a second penalty in favor of ASSE. Like a cruel reminder. Like a final humiliation. And, like the first, it will be missed. The symbolism is overwhelming. Even the nudges of fate are rejected by a team unable to seize its chances.
When the final whistle blows, faces are closed, gazes blank. Frédéric Antonetti, true to himself, speaks of courage, of combat, but the observation is implacable. ASSE hits rock bottom. The Corsican coach, who came to Saint-Étienne in his own words to “repair an anomaly”, that of a legendary club playing in the second division, now has only one objective: to save the club, at all costs… before leaving.
This January 29, 2003 will remain as one of the black spots in the modern history of AS Saint-Étienne. A match where everything seemed to go wrong. A match where the snow, the missed penalties, the empty stadium and the defeat against a relegated team perfectly illustrated the fall of a giant. A brutal reminder that, even for a club with an immense track record, nothing is ever taken for granted.
