Two fallen giants of French football go head-to-head for a place in Ligue 1, as St Etienne welcome Nice for the first leg of the play-off final on Tuesday night.
St Etienne, who were among Europe’s best teams in the 1970s, have spent three of the last four seasons in Ligue 2. Nice, on the other hand, have suffered a more sudden decline. After qualifying for Europe in three of their last four campaigns, nobody expected them to finish third bottom this season.
Nice head into this game on a downer after losing 3-1 to Lens in the Coupe de France final, making it just one win in their last 10 matches. St Etienne didn’t end the Ligue 2 season in style either, losing three of their last four, and only just scraped past Rodez by a single goal in the play-off semi-finals.
They also lost 2-1 away to Nice in the Coupe de France earlier this season, but the bookies make them favourites with home advantage tonight at a best 5/4 with Betfred.
According to Le Progres, Nice have drifted for months while looking for a buyer and clashing with supporters. The downturn began before Claude Puel’s arrival. Puel, who led St Etienne until December 2021 before their relegation, took charge at Nice on 29 December, aged 64. He has stepped into a situation mirroring what he left at St Etienne: a club 13th with a five-point cushion over the play-off spot, off-colour and not set up for a relegation fight. Above all, the problem is mental, with a real dressing-room spirit hard to build.
The two legs against Les Verts will decide whether Nice remain in Ligue 1.
