after incidents before kick-off, Saint-Etienne and Angers neutralize each other at Geoffroy-Guichard

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We could write that despite their particularly delicate situation in the standings, blocked in last place, the Greens were not unworthy, Friday October 22, during this opening match of the 11th day of Ligue 1 against Angers. We could also focus on the men of Gerald Baticle, who once again lost points at the very end of the game after their defeat against PSG last week.

But tonight, football was secondary to Geoffroy-Guichard. Once again one would be tempted to say, after the incidents which punctuate almost every weekend the matches of the French football championship. The atmosphere promised to be tense on Friday, however, just 24 hours after groups of Greens ultras sent an ultimatum to team manager Claude Puel, written in large on a banner displayed at the training center: “Puel, you have 24 hours to resign”.

> Relive the meeting between Saint-Etienne and Angers in live conditions

It is therefore difficult to feign surprise when the bronca of the Saint-Etienne public came crashing down on the 22 actors as they entered the lawn. The presence of the police around the two sidelines even before the kick-off will be remembered, at least for some time. As if the game had disappeared, that nothing was really going right in this sound and light show, which had become incandescent and then foggy after the launching of dozens of smoke bombs on the lawn. “Fumes” which went so far as to damage the nets adjoining the north bend and which undoubtedly precipitated the postponement of the meeting by a good hour.

Because yes, for a good 60 minutes, players as spectators were suspended at the decision of the refereeing body (and the prefecture). The challenge ? Resume the match without endangering the safety of the players. At 9.45 p.m., the conditions seemed met and both Stéphanois and Angevins returned to warm up on the meadow, before starting hostilities a quarter of an hour later.

Then there was a match, which was pretty good. But the heart was no longer really at the party. Despite an encouraging half hour, Claude Puel’s men were surprised by the SCO and Ismaël Traoré, on a superb free kick from Sofiane Boufal who found the head of his captain (0-1, 28th). Voluntary if not realistic, ASSE returned to the locker room by being led to the score, despite nine shots (against two for Angers).

The goal of Angelo Fulgini’s break (0-2, 56th) made fear the worst: a new manifestation of exasperation on the part of the supporters of the Greens. But a superb free kick from Wahbi Khazri (1-2, 60th), the only player from Saint-Etienne applauded when the players were announced – and whose personal statistics (six goals out of 10 shots on target since the start of the season) contrast with those of his team (six defeats and four draws since the start of the season, before the match on Friday) – brought back hope. Until the end, he and his partners pushed to try to get back to the score, to get out of the crisis. And in the last minute of added time, it was Mickael Nadé who came to snatch the equalizer (2-2, 90th + 4), causing the public to switch with him.

Always red lantern and still running after his first success of the season, Sainté hangs on somehow. But the images of this angry public, these powerless players, this management at bay and this criticized manager suggest that no, decidedly, the crisis is far from over in Forez.

(PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP)


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