Saint-Étienne-Lyon: and above all health!
It’s a sad derby that will be played, this Sunday evening, in a Cauldron far from its traditional boiling point. Without enduring and without much expectation, the rivals Saint-Étienne and Lyon must meet for a poster supposed to represent a beautiful showcase for Ligue 1. Except that ASSE, transformed into a giant cluster in the last two weeks, is obliged to respect the Regulation of the LFP to the letter by appearing against OL with a decimated and ill-prepared group.
In a normal season, this is an event not to be missed. For supporters of both camps, first. But also for those who love football, the French championship and the smell of gunpowder. In recent years, the derby between Saint-Étienne and Lyon had almost become the most exciting poster in Ligue 1, even ahead of the classic PSG-OM and perhaps on a par with the famous Olimpico. But there, nothing. No thrill, no emotion, no waiting. The fault, of course, with the absence of the supporters – and not only that of the visitors, this time – because of the general camera since the beginning of the health crisis.
“What interests me is to please the supporters, nevertheless clarified Claude Puel, at a press conference. Without an audience, it’s much more difficult. The lack of audience, supporters and support is very particular. We will never get used to these empty stadiums. “ Same story with Rudi Garcia, who does not forget the sporting interest either: “A derby without supporting is not the same thing. But that does not change what we want to obtain, which is to say three points.” Yes, because beyond the (legitimate) considerations around these deserted stands and the silence, there is a football match to play. That is exactly the problem.
Is work really holy?
For nearly two weeks, the Robert-Herbin sports center has indeed looked like a giant cluster. ASSE has been hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic, identifying eighteen positive cases for Covid-19 among players and staff in the past two weeks. Many executives (Hamouma, Debuchy, Kolodziejczak, Bouanga or Youssouf to name a few) have been affected by the virus, just like Claude Puel or even the president of the management board Roland Romeyer (75 years old) whose state of health does not would not be of concern for the moment. As much
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