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Football

05th Feb 2022

Saint-Étienne fans produce banners mocking their players after cup defeat

Callum Boyle

Saint-Étienne fans produced banners to mock their side following their cup defeat

Fans of French side Saint-Étienne produced banners which mocked their side before their game against Montpellier on Saturday.

Supporters of the strugglers were left angered by their side’s Coupe de France defeat to fourth-tier side Bergerac Perigord last weekend.

Les Verts were beaten 1-0 in the round of 16 to further comply their misery as they sit bottom of Ligue 1 with just 15 points and five adrift of safety – losing four of their last five league games.

Pascal Dupraz, who replaced previous manager Claude Puel, has failed to improve the club’s fortunes and fans looked to have finally had enough as they displayed banners which appeared to mock their own players.

Messages such as: Wake up or soon it will be you leaving the ticket income of the match,”  – which is a tradition in France when a professional side plays against an amateur team in a cup competition.

Another one read: “Congratulations on your Coupe de France journey, unfortunately the hierarchy will have been respected,” which translates to fans worrying that they may fall down the leagues and become a ‘small’ club.

Saint-Étienne have a proud history in France and hold the record for the most top-flight titles in France – winning the league 10 times, however – they have won Ligue 1 since 1981.

Their closest challengers to their record are both Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain who both have nine league titles each.

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