Deprived of the stands of Geoffroy-Guichard for many months, the supporters of the Greens support less and less the procrastination of their club. Last week, the departure of Xavier Thuilot, sports director who arrived eighteen months ago with Claude Puel, and the interview given by Roland Romeyer to an Egyptian media, which prematurely ended the discussions concerning the transfer of striker Mostafa Mohamed , had given rise to a first wave of protests.
At the Robert-Herbin training center, as well as in town, banners had been displayed, to question the management of the presidential duo Romeyer / Caiazzo. The heavy loss (0-5) conceded to OL in a one-sided derby this time sparked a storm, with the players as the main target. Almost every day of the week, a new banner was stapled on the hurdles of the training center, stigmatizing their attitude on the field during this confrontation, comparing “exorbitant salaries” and “distressing results” and inciting them sharply to restore their image this Sunday in Nice.
A week to calm people down
But showing their disappointment, if not their anger, didn’t seem like enough to get the message across. Thus, on Friday, around 30 Green Angels came to practice to express their way of thinking about Puel and his players. On Saturday it was the Magics Fans, another ultra group, who in turn invaded the pitches and launched into a long discussion with the professional group and the technical staff. Both times, the exchanges remained relatively courteous, far more than feared by the police forces who had deployed in numbers, anticipating possible incidents.
Only the patience of these supporters, already frustrated at not being able to attend the matches, has limits and it is to be feared that the next meetings between them and the players could be more muscular. In Nice this Sunday, as in Geoffroy-Guichard on Wednesday and next Sunday against Nantes and Metz, Debuchy and his partners have three opportunities to calm the spirits. It’s up to them not to let them pass.
A DEFENDER ARRIVES, AN ATTACKER LEAVES
AS Saint-Etienne have formalized the arrival, in the form of a six-month loan with option to buy, of Senegalese defender Pape Abdou Cissé, who previously played for Olympiakos (Greece). At the same time, Jean-Philippe Krasso, who has never managed to win in the green jersey, is expected to be loaned to Le Mans, a National club.