AS Saint-Étienne (ASSE) striker Ibrahim Sissoko was recently sanctioned by the French Football Federation (FFF) following his expulsion during the 0-4 defeat against Olympique de Marseille in the Coupe de France.
His gesture, an elbow to the face of Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi, led to a suspension of five firm matches, with two suspended.
Why such a severe sanction?
The severity of this sanction is explained by the disciplinary scales applied by the FFF. They are often stricter than those of the Professional Football League (LFP). The FFF, mainly governing amateur football, imposes rigorous disciplinary measures. The objective: to maintain the integrity of the game. Thus, violent actions, like that of Sissoko, are severely punished. The FFF's mission is to deter such behavior.
This suspension comes at a critical time for ASSE. The club will have to do without its striker during the first five days of Ligue 1 in 2025. The Greens will successively face Stade de Reims and Paris Saint-Germain to close the first leg. The return phase will then be launched with matches against FC Nantes, AJ Auxerre and LOSC Lille. The absence of Sissoko, author of 15 goals in 48 matches with ASSE, represents a major challenge for the team.
What impact for ASSE?
The new coach, Eirik Horneland, will have to adapt his offensive strategy in the absence of his starting center forward. Lucas Stassin, a young 20-year-old Belgian striker, could be asked to fill this void. However, his adaptation to the Saint-Etienne game is still underway, and the pressure will be strong for him to assume responsibility for the Greens' attack.
This situation highlights the differences between the disciplinary scales of the FFF and the LFP, raising questions about the consistency of sanctions in French football. For ASSE, it is now a matter of overcoming this ordeal by finding effective offensive solutions to calmly approach the start of the year 2025.
France
