The atmosphere promised to be hot, Friday, October 22, in the stands of Geoffroy-Guichard. And this one was, probably too much.
The match between Saint-Etienne and Angers, counting for the 11th day of Ligue 1, did not start on time due to damage caused to the goal nets while several ultras had entered the lawn and had sent rockets and other smoke bombs.
Dozens of smoke bombs were thrown on the lawn from the two kops at the entrance of the players. The police are in place towards the two sidelines. The public is demanding Puel’s resignation. #ASSESCO pic.twitter.com/fqYosts4Iy
– Progress – ASSE (@leprogres_asse) October 22, 2021
During the warm-up, the kops had deployed banners stigmatizing the role they attribute to Claude Puel, the coach, the managers and the players, guilty according to them of the chaos in which their team finds itself.
“We have discussed enough, you make us crack” could we also read on banners before the stands cracked pyrotechnic devices in a noxious climate, while the police forces were deployed in front of the presidential platform and the sidelines. “Puel resignation”, “resignation direction” and “we want a team worthy of its audience” chanted the slogans of the kops.
Thursday before Claude Puel’s pre-match press conference, the three main groups of ultras from Saint-Etienne, Magic Fans, Green Angels and Independent had hung a banner on the grids of the training center threatening the coach of the Greens: “Puel, you have 24 hours to resign”.
AS Saint-Etienne, which has still not won a single match this season, is currently 20th and last in the standings with four points, four lengths from Bordeaux (17th and first non-relegation).
After almost an hour of delay, the match resumed but it will be definitively stopped at the first new incident. One thing is certain, ASSE risks paying dearly for these excesses, the last in a long series since the start of the season in Ligue 1.
“Puel: we give you 24 hours to resign”. The banner was hung on the gates of the ASSE training center. #ASSESCO pic.twitter.com/z3PJMSz0HP
– Romain Colange (@RomainColange) October 21, 2021