Saint-Etienne relegated to Ligue 2, its coach "takes full responsibility for this missed opportunity"

The Greens' transformation has failed: a year after its return to the elite , Saint-Etienne returns to Ligue 2. Trailing 2-0 after fifteen minutes of play, Saturday May 17 in the evening during the 34th and final day of Ligue 1, the Stéphanois did not manage to overturn Toulouse, despite the reductions of the score by Tardieu (38th) and Batubinsika (63rd), and lost 3-2. Even in the event of success, they would have finished in 17th place, after Le Havre's victory in the last moments in Strasbourg.

"The first thing I want to say to all ASSE supporters is that I'm sorry for this match. On behalf of the club, I want to apologize," commented AS Saint-Etienne coach Eirik Horneland, Norwegian, at a press conference. "I take full responsibility for this missed match and this relegation. It was my challenge. When I arrived in January, I wanted to build a style of play, give energy, and develop players. There has been progress since January, at times."

And to admit: "We weren't up to par. Ultimately, this match reflects our season. We lacked consistency and quality. We didn't manage to win two games in a row, and that says a lot about our season. I think we could have done a lot better with this team. I take responsibility for this relegation. Building a new team takes time. As for the future, we can be optimistic. The owner has the financial means. He wants to bring the club back to Europe in the medium term."

No incidents to report among the ultras supporters, as if the kops had long since resigned themselves, but a vindictive banner on the south stand evoked a "catastrophic record, one of the worst seasons in history: a well-deserved end?" "A summer to rebuild everything: no more audits, we want action!" could be read on another.

On the winning side, while the identity of the 2025 French champion was never in doubt for long, the race for Champions League spots behind Paris Saint-Germain was thrilling throughout the season. The contenders crossed paths on the podium, and the name of the fourth-placed club, Nice, in the play-off spot for the next Champions League, was only revealed after the final matchday. OL snatched their place in the Conference League at the last minute after Strasbourg's narrow defeat to Le Havre.