It is a rare moment in French football which will take place this Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Stade Michel Moretti.
Interrupted on October 26 after only 42 minutes of play, the derby between AC Ajaccio and SC Bastia will resume at the precise moment when the match was stopped. As a reminder, the referee sent everyone back to the locker room shortly before half-time following scuffles in the stands. If the green light for a resumption had been given by the delegates, a violent storm had forced the officials to definitively postpone the game. A game which will therefore resume in the 42nd minute and which will take place in very specific conditions.
A Michel Moretti Stadium behind closed doors
Starting with an empty stadium since following the incidents in the stands, a little over a month ago, the LFP disciplinary committee decided to declare a closed session subsequently and the end of this derby.
No return to the locker room
A derby which will resume based on a precise protocol with a dropped ball in favor of Sporting to restart the match. But the important information comes from the fact that there will be no return to the locker room after 45 minutes and a simple change of sides will be made.
The same players as on October 26 or almost
Another important point of the regulations: the two teams must present the same match sheet as that of October 26. Adjustments will still be possible in the event of injury but it will be necessary to have the player's unavailability noted by a national federal doctor. This will be the case for Christophe Vincent at Sporting who will be replaced by Maxime Blé and Thomas Mangani and Tim Jabol-Folcarelli on the ACA side. On the other hand, the regulations limiting these possibilities of change to 1 field player and 1 goalkeeper, AC Ajaccio will be forced to field a group of 17 players only with the entry of Abou Kanté to replace one of the two injured aceist side.
Note that the two coaches will also have the possibility of resuming the match by making changes to their starting eleven but only from the match sheet of October 26. An initially starting player may therefore find himself among the replacements without this being counted as a change.
Reactivated boxes
Finally, and this will be important, the cards distributed before the interruption of the meeting will be reactivated when it resumes. This will concern Aceists Matthieu Huard and Everson Junior. On the other hand, players currently suspended but present on the match sheet for October 26 will be able to play this Tuesday evening, like, on the Bastia side, Jocelyn Janneh and Anthony Roncaglia.
An important sporting issue
If the derby remains a historically important match for the ACA and SC Bastia, this evening's match will also be important on a sporting level. And maybe even more than a month ago. Without success in the league for eight matches, Sporting is starting to feel the breath of the teams at the bottom of the table and a defeat could increase the pressure on the Bastia group.
A pressure already present on the side of the ACA, currently 16th and therefore blocking in the race to maintain. With six defeats in the last eight matches, the Ajaccians are clearly marking time and must return to success to give themselves some breathing space.
ACA – SCB, a meeting to follow live on RCFM, Tuesday December 3 from 7:30 p.m.
