Saint-Étienne fans throw flares at players after relegation
Saint-Étienne fans went ballistic when their team was demoted to a lower French soccer league, Ligue 2, on Sunday.
Fans rushed onto the field and threw flares at players after Saint-Étienne lost in a penalty shootout against Auxerre. Video shows chaos erupting on the pitch with smoke and people getting tackled left and right.
People later went into the press conference room to take cover while chaos descended outside the stadium, French soccer journalist Adrien Blettery reported.
Saint-Étienne placed 18th in Ligue 1 this season, which put them into relegation playoffs.
Auxerre tied Saint-Étienne in the first leg of the series 1-1, making Sunday’s match the decider for both teams. The two French squads drawed 1-1 again, which led to a penalty shootout to decide who would be relegated and who would be promoted.
The two teams matched four penalty shots before Ryad Boudebouz, a Saint-Étienne midfielder, missed his kick. Auxerre striker Rémy Dugimont sealed his team’s promotion, and Saint-Étienne’s relegation.
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