In 1982, Michel Platini was almost the hero as Saint-Etienne conceded a last minute equaliser in extra-time of the Coupe de France final before losing on penalties. That defeat came against Paris Saint-Germain, the very team who are aiming to eventually usurp Saint-Etienne as France’s historically most successful team. Yet 31 years later, Les Verts beat Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue showpiece at the Stade de France to lift their first trophy in the first final they had competed in since their golden age.
A cup win was a fitting reward for one of France’s most improved teams of recent times. It was fitting too that it should be Brazilian Brandao netting the winner in a 1-0 victory. He has now lifted the trophy four years in a row after a hat-trick of successes with Marseille. Brandao it was as well who netted the winner in last year’s final, another 1-0 win, ironically against Saint-Etienne’s fierce local rivals Lyon.
Having guaranteed themselves a Europa League spot for next season, Saint-Etienne can now go one better and earn a Champions League place. This year they have a real chance of making it to the big time and finishing in the top three. Just two points behind fierce local rivals Lyon in third, Christophe Galtier’s team have a potentially make-or-break clash at the weekend against none other than Les Gones.
With momentum behind them Galtier will be confident. Les Verts have not lost a league game this calendar year, although their hopes of a domestic cup double were dashed by Lorient in the Coupe de France quarter-finals a few days before the Coupe de la Ligue triumph.
Saint-Etienne may have included the likes of Platini and Jonny Rep back in 1982, but whilst there are no stars of the same level today the current batch are not short on talent. Key to everything that they have done has been the remarkable Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang.
The Gabonese forward possesses a fantastic work ethic, great technical ability and a good finish too, even if he can come up with the odd inexplicable miss. Then there is his blistering pace, which makes him so difficult to defend against. The 23-year-old has netted 17 goals this season, setting up seven as well, and it is unlikely to be long until he makes a move to pastures new and to one of Europe’s bigger sides. There are so many clubs chasing Aubameyang that it will practically take him the summer to get through each offer on the table.
Aubameyang would be the first to say that he has benefited enormously from the assistance of Brandao, who joined from Marseille last summer, and often ploughs on in a central position, allowing the Gabon forward to break from wider positions. Yohan Mollo has also been a key figure, with the trio in tandem providing the bulk of Saint-Etienne’s attacking and creative threat.
But while their attacking prowess is impressive, it is the defence which has been the basis on which the success of Galtier’s side has been built. Saint-Etienne’s strength really does lie in their solidity at the back, which is impressive for what is essentially a young and inexperienced team. Once Les Verts go 1-0 up, it is very difficult to peg them back and get back into the game. Stephane Ruffier in goal is the rock on which a mostly watertight defence is built – only PSG have conceded fewer this season in Ligue 1. Ruffier is commanding, an organiser and a leader – providing such important skills to a young side.
And it is a very young side that Galtier has, although in winning the Coupe de la Ligue Les Verts did defeat the team dubbed the ‘academy of France’ in Rennes. Galtier has a higher ambition in mind than just collecting a cup, but may well be up against it if key players leave. If Saint-Etienne reach the Champions League it will be difficult to keep some of their best talents, but there could be the possibility that they will delay the departures of the likes of Ruffier and Aubameyang.
Les Verts lost Blaise Matuidi to PSG in 2011 and it is hard to see them preventing an exodus of their best talent eventually. The globalised, television money dominated football landscape means that outside of the elite of European powers, sides who bring through a clutch of youngsters are destined to lose their best players to bigger fish sooner rather than later. When even Borussia Dortmund look like they may be raided, no team can adequately prevent an exodus of their leading stars. What they can do though is to keep their coach for a start, the most important man of all. And then they can ensure that they benefit by qualifying for the Champions League and reinvesting money made both from that competition and from player sales wisely. Lille are a team who have shown that through sensible development of talent and intelligent transfer dealings, it is possible to build a path into France’s elite.
Like Lille, Saint-Etienne are constructing a new stadium which will be used for the European Championship finals that France hosts in 2016. That could help them take a step up a level and Galtier is determined to take the club back to their former heights, and give them a genuine European profile.
Saint-Etienne now have five games left in Ligue 1 to haul themselves into the top three and the way they have been going in 2013 it would be foolish to bet against them. This season has already seen Les Verts give the champions elect a bloody nose twice. They inflicted PSG’s first defeat of the season at the Parc des Princes before winning on penalties in the Coupe de la Ligue shortly afterwards. Lyon and Marseille both suffered in January, losing key players to richer European rivals, and it has shown, with PSG taking advantage by developing a commanding lead over both. But there is no reason why Saint-Etienne cannot take similar advantage of the weakness of the two sides currently sitting directly above them. And if they do, they will return to the continent’s leading competition for the first time since those heady days of the 1970s and 1980s, when Les Verts ruled the roost in France, and almost in Europe too.
Like to bet on football? Pay Inside Bet a visit!
