Zapping Goal! Football club ASSE: tops, flops, future … the assessment of the 2020-2021 season of the Greens
Author of a good start to the season, holder on the left flank of the green defense and decisive passer for Denis Bouanga in Lens (2-2), Timothée Kolodziejczak had made a remarkable passage in front of the media in Bollaert. The defender (29) had these words: “I have a year to do here. I want to take advantage. There have been a few clashes with the coach in the past but we know each other well. He makes me play where he wants and I’ll give it my all ”. The message was clear: despite some friction, the native of Arras intends to honor his last year of contract by having as much pleasure as possible. A situation, and a state of mind, shared by several of his teammates.
Khazri also wants to savor his “der” with the Greens
Because many Saint-Etienne players are entering the last year of their contract. This is particularly the case of Wahbi Khazri. And like Kolo, the Tunisian knows that his salary, the bulk of the workforce, makes any extension unthinkable. His collaboration with Claude Puel was not always easy, relations have never and will never be as warm as with Jean-Louis Gasset, but the former Bastiais likes to wear this green jersey, the audience of the Chaudron, his family likes Saint-Etienne, so there is no question of “leaving to go” or sulking his pleasure. Pleasure, Ryad Boudebouz is less likely to take it. The Algerian was able to realize, by being removed from the group from the trip to Lens, that Puel still did not really count on him. At the end of his contract in 2022 too, with a big salary, he is preparing for a last difficult season. This will also be the case for other players whose club would like to get rid of, such as Assane Diousse, Bilal Benkhedim, Lamine Ghezali or Alpha Sissoko, all promised to the reserve if they do not find a taker during the final hours of the Mercato.
No extension in sight for Nordin, Bajic and Trauco
Among the players who enter Puel’s plans, Romain Hamouma, finally retained, has only been replaced for one year. Arnaud Nordin and Miguel Trauco have only one year of contract as well, like Stefan Bajic. young goalkeeper had received a proposal for an extension last summer but he was too greedy in the eyes of the leaders. Nordin also had the possibility of extending but no agreement had been found and since then, the international Espoirs and his entourage have no news from the club.The tendency is for him to leave free at the end of his contract, and the same is true for Trauco.
Puel and his staff in the same case
Arrived at ASSE in October 2019 to replace Ghislain Printant, Claude Puel had to register with the Greens over time, with a reconstruction project around young people, while reducing the payroll in order to replenish the coffers. But the situation has changed. In particular with the sale of the club last spring. This makes an extension of Puel and his staff unlikely, especially since the sporting results do not really plead in favor of the manager of the Greens, just like his salary, one of the three biggest of the club (225,000 € monthly) …
The “carpe diem” of executives
At the end of their contract in June 2022, several ASSE executives are aware that they are living their last year in the Forez. As for the Kolo or Khazri, the situation is quite clear: we intend to take advantage of the present moment and that’s it!
