opponent of Bergerac, Saint-Étienne is a monument in danger

They have already spoken of mountains to define Metz and Créteil, opponents in the 32nd and 16th finals. What word could the Bergerac players use to qualify their opponent this Sunday, in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France? Because there, it is Everest that presents itself to them, in terms of prestige in any case. AS Saint-Étienne, that of Rocheteau, Larqué, Bathenay or Piazza, which made France dream in the 1970s. The Greens, with the star above the coat of arms, their due, for being the only French club to having won 10 championship titles. “Sainté”, first French club finalist of a European cupfell in 1976 against Bayern Munich and the square posts of Hampden Park. “A mountain, a mythical club”, says Bergerac striker Samir Bakir, born in Saint-Chamond, a few kilometers from the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, and supporter of the Greens.

Except that the poster has yellowed a bit, a shame for the Greens. Saint-Étienne’s last league title dates back to 1981 and the last Coupe de France to 1977. Since then, the Foréziens have made three round trips to Ligue 2. And that they are on track this season to make a fourth. , glued that they are at the 20th place in Ligue 1, five points behind the first non-relegation player, Bordeaux. These Greens won Wednesday in Ligue 1, on the lawn of Angers (0-1) after having experienced seven consecutive defeats in the league, including a humiliation (0-5) at home against Rennes, on December 5, who precipitated the dismissal of coach Claude Puel. What to say that the blow would be almost playable for a Bergerac in full swing, leader of his National 2 groupand undefeated for 148 days and a defeat on the lawn of Andrézieux, September 4.

All players are supposed to be superior against a National 2 team

Rest that there is always three divisions apart between the two teams, what Pascal Dupraz, the new coach of the Greens recalled in a pre-match press conference. “Bergerac is a National 2 team, same leader, in the same way that Saint-Étienne remains a Ligue 1 team, even 20th.” “It’s a squad that is scheduled to play in Ligue 1, so all the players are supposed to be superior against a National 2 team”, takes over his Bergerac counterpart Erwan Lannuzel.

Greens who cannot really count on their supporters, who tirelessly demand a change of direction. Tirelessly and sometimes too demonstratively since they are travel bans until the end of the season,after several incidents in the stands, especially in the previous round, with firecrackers thrown on the lawn of Jura-Sud. Fans tired of the decisions of the duo of presidents Bernard Caïazzo – Roland Romeyer, who continually sells the best players at exorbitant prices to repay his debt and sell their club, on sale since April, to new investors.

Result, a less efficient team, largely composed of kids trained at the club. Sunday, in Périgueux, Saint-Étienne should line up at kick-off a midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath (18) – Aimen Moueffek (20). And has in his group players like El-Hadji Dieye, Bilal Benkhedim, Louis Mouton, or Lucas Llort, 11 Ligue 1 games between them. So much so that Adil Aouchiche (19 years old), Mickaël Nadé (22 years old), Arnaud Nordin or Madhi Camara (23 years old) are already serving as executives.

Khazri, absent top scorer

Because the usual executives are not at the level, with the notable exception of Wahbi Khazri, the Greens’ top scorer with seven goals, who will be absent on Sunday, since he is playing in the African Cup of Nations with Tunisia. Ryad Boudebouz, surely holder, will be in charge of the technical touch of the team, he who also floats. But the Denis Bouanga, Yvan Maçon or Timothée Kolodziejczak, supposed to be the engines of this team, are only good intermittently, while the historic Romain Hamouma is not yet out of the infirmary.

So to save themselves, the Greens are trying to get a makeover this winter. Withthe arrival of Pascal Dupraz, a coach on a mission, who saved Toulouse in 2016 from relegation to Ligue 2 which seemed to him promised. To help him in his mission, the leaders of the Greens have launched an XXL recruitment, with the arrival of a former French international in defense, Eliaquim Mangala (absent on Sunday) from two players on loan from Angers, Paul Bernardoni and Sada Thioub, and former good Ligue 1 players who didn’t have a club, Bakary Sako and Joris Gnagnon (who aren’t there either). “It’s not the same team at all, it’s very solid, hard to move. There’s a new momentum,” Bakir analysis.

While still waiting for a centre-forward, the Greens have built themselves a more experienced group to seek maintenance in Ligue 1. But not sure that a victory against Bergerac on Sunday is his priority.