It was what was expected, it’s now official. Saint-Etienne coach Pascal Dupraz will leave the club after relegation to Ligue 2 on Sunday, ASSE announced in a statement on Thursday. An announcement already made the day before by the executive president of the club, Jean-François Soucasse. “If the outcome did not turn out to be positive, AS Saint-Étienne would however like to thank Pascal Dupraz and Baptiste Hamid, physical trainer, for their total investment and wishes them a very good continuation”, underlines the press release. posted Thursday afternoon.
“Yes it is. There was no doubt on this subject and from December 5 when we met, ”said Soucasse on the antenna of France Bleu Saint-Etienne. Arrived last December with the aim of saving ASSE from relegation, Dupraz, 59, signed up with the Forézien club until June 30.
Battles will succeed him
“There are no regrets in having chosen him. He has worked a lot. He objectively improved the club’s performance, that’s fact. What is painful is to think that with one goal, a better prepared match, regardless of the catastrophic season that is ours, we could have effectively avoided this pitfall. There is an incredible disproportion between this fact and the implications, which are major,” he lamented.
“Pascal was loyal. He did like the others. He has invested a lot in the club. He is saddened by this situation, ”said the leader of the club whose shareholders announced the next sale. According to our information, the former player of the Greens and ex-trainer of Troyes Laurent Battles will commit this Friday for two seasons. The technician had met with the Saint-Etienne leaders on Tuesday.
Soucasse also indicated that no social plan was envisaged at ASSE despite the club’s relegation to Ligue 2, synonymous with turnover which will be halved. “It would be particularly unfair if the employees, in addition to being hurt and who have such a strong link with the club, are also the victims”, defended the leader.
Saint-Etienne faces very heavy penalties after the incidents against Auxerre
Regarding the very serious incidents after the match against Auxerre on Sunday, Jean-François Soucasse does not rule out any hypothesis on the extent of the sanctions that will hit ASSE.
“Given the seriousness of the facts, it will be the investigation of the file which will make it possible to take the decisions, to define the identities of the people who are guilty of the facts. Complaints have been filed,” said the executive chairman.
A decision from the Disciplinary Committee of the Professional Football League (LFP) is expected on this subject on June 23. The applicable disciplinary sanctions can go as far as a total or partial closed session, a withdrawal of points or even a disqualification and even a demotion.