Juba Touabi, Media365, published on Monday December 30, 2024 at 5:20 p.m.
AS Saint-Étienne suffers a new setback in an already complicated season.
Greens striker Ibrahim Sissoko was heavily sanctioned by the French Football Federation (FFF) after his violent gesture against Leonardo Balerdi, defender of Olympique de Marseille, during the 4-0 defeat in the Coupe de France. Sanctioned with a red card on the field, he now receives a seven-match suspension, five of which are firm and two suspended. This verdict deprives ASSE of one of its major assets for five crucial matches in Ligue 1, against Reims, Paris, Nantes, Auxerre and Lille. The attacker will only be able to return to the field from February 9, 2024, during the 21st day against Rennes.
A complicated season for the Forez club
The suspension of Ibrahim Sissoko comes at a critical time for Saint-Étienne, currently 16th in the ranking and in the fight to remain. If the club chose not to appeal the decision, preferring to avoid a long and uncertain procedure, the sanction aroused strong indignation among supporters. On social networks, many people denounce a “disproportionate” measure and judge ASSE to be unfairly penalized.
This frustration reflects the growing concern around the performance of the Greens, already in difficulty on a sporting level. The elimination from the Coupe de France, combined with a precarious situation in the championship, weighs heavily on the morale of fans and players. The loss of Sissoko, a key element of the Saint-Etienne attack, aggravates this negative dynamic. As if that were not enough, Saint-Étienne will also have to do without Yunis Abdelhamid in the next match against Reims. The defender is suspended for accumulating yellow cards, further complicating the coach's choices. Faced with these absences, the next few weeks promise to be crucial for ASSE, which will absolutely have to collect points to remain in the race for maintenance.
