Since July 13, Stéphane Ruffier has been laid off as a precaution by the club to which he has belonged for 10 years, namely AS Saint-Etienne.
Officially, the Forézien club blames its historic goalkeeper for a delay in training and a refusal to take part in an opposition seven against seven with the young people of the club. This Sunday, the daily L’Equipe takes stock of this matter, and indicates that Stéphane Ruffier should know his sanction on Monday. Since the start of the procedure, the Greens have scrupulously respected the labor code by welcoming Stéphane Ruffier in the presence of François-Xavier Luce, administrative and financial director of the Greens and Xavier Thuilot, managing director. A two-day deadline was then observed before sending the player by registered letter the club’s decision.
The media indicates that this letter is already gone. And there is no doubt that Stéphane Ruffier will officially learn of his outright dismissal from ASSE. “In view of the media coverage taken by this affair, it is difficult to see the club backtracking by not dismissing Ruffier for serious misconduct” is it explained. But is this sanction fair in view of the reproaches expressed against Stéphane Ruffier? The question arises, and the arguments of the national daily risk causing scandal. Because in its article, the media recalls in particular that Wesley Fofana arrived 45 minutes late in November 2019 to take the plane to Ukraine to play a Europa League match against Oleksandria. Result: the very promising defender of the Greens, estimated at nearly 30 ME, had started the next day. Meanwhile, L’Equipe says the Ruffier case is divisive internally. “If the club claims to speak with one voice on this issue which spoils the image of the Greens, a division would exist between the supporters of a hard line (Thuilot) and the followers of more flexibility (Romeyer, chairman of the executive board) “ explains Bernard Lions. The end of the soap opera is near in Saint-Etienne and whatever happens, Stéphane Ruffier’s sanction will cause a huge reaction.