Wahbi Khazri will be back in the Chaudron on Saturday evening for the match between ASSE and Montpellier. His time in Forez having ended with a descent to L2 and some adventures, we can wonder what reception the Saint-Etienne supporters will give him…
At 33, Wahbi Khazri will return to Geoffroy-Guichard on Saturday evening, having worn the green jersey for four seasons. The Tunisian will arrive in the Chaudron with confidence since he has just scored his first goal of the season during MHSC's victory against Brest (3-1) before the international break. Relaunched by Jean-Louis Gasset, who was at the origin of his transfer to ASSE in 2018, Khazri has struggled since his arrival in Hérault. In his first season, he scored 4 goals, and last season, he only scored once. His record since he was at Montpellier (6 goals, 3 assists in 66 matches) suffers from comparison with his record with the Greens (37 goals, 14 assists in 114 matches).
Only one goal in his last four months at “Sainté”
But despite his stats in Green and a few goals that left an impression, notably a double against OM and his historic midfield lob in Metz in October 2021, Khazri left a fairly controversial image in Saint-Etienne. Everything had become complicated for him after the departure of Gasset and the arrival of Claude Puel, who had dismissed him, then reinstated him. Captain of ASSE during the 2021-22 season, that of the club's relegation to L2, the native of Ajaccio scored 10 goals. But he had only scored once during his last four months in Forez. An end to the journey where his involvement had been pointed out by Pascal Dupraz one night of defeat in Lorient (2-6), when Puel's successor had said that he was especially angry with those who were absent, suggesting that Khazri, absent for due to injury, could have held his place at Moustoir. The end of the adventure was also marked by a publication from the player's wife appearing on her networks packing her bags, while ASSE was in the middle of a maintenance operation. An episode which displeased the supporters, and which could even have outraged some. We will see on Saturday if the public at Le Chaudron will have remembered the best of Khazri's visit to AS Saint-Etienne, or if it is mainly this blood sausage ending which has remained in people's minds..
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