Football fans storm the pitch and set off flares after Saint-Etienne’s relegation from Ligue 1 | World News
Angry Saint-Etienne fans stormed the pitch after the team lost a play-off match and were relegated from Ligue 1, France’s top league.
Saint-Etienne lost to Auxerre 5-4 on penalties.
The second leg at the Stade Geoffre, Saint-Etienne, ended 1-1 with no additional goals scored in extra time.
The first leg is another draw.
Saint-Etienne fans invaded shortly after the final penalty kick, setting off flares on the pitch.
Players from both teams ran into the changing rooms to avoid the mayhem.
Police then dispersed the players, according to L’Equipe.
No injuries were immediately reported.
Auxerre’s Hamza Sakhi scored the first goal of the game before Mahdi Camara equalized for Saint-Etienne.
In the penalty shootout, Ryad Boudebouz missed a penalty for Saint-Etienne as Auxerre secured his place in Ligue 1 the following season.
Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Leon has been praised for saving the shot and making a total of eight saves.
Photo: Adrien Blettery / TL7
‘No one believes in us’
“I was there when we were demoted in 2012,” Leon said.
“Nobody believed in us in this playoff, it was really tough but we managed to come up.”
Saint-Etienne owns a record 10 league titles and has not played in the second division, Ligue 2, since 2005.
Saint-Etienne shareholders Bernard Caiazzo and Roland Romeyer said in an announcement published shortly after the match.
Saint-Etienne dominated the league throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but suffered defeat in the 1980s following a financial scandal.
The club are facing financial difficulties that have worsened in the wake of the pandemic and the collapse of Ligue 1’s billion-dollar television contract.
Saint-Etienne is officially open for sale.
Auxerre’s fortunes appear to be changing, with the win marking the end of a decade away from the top flight.
