Saint-Étienne move a step closer to Ligue 1 promotion
AS Saint-Étienne is on the verge of returning to Ligue 1 after a tense semi-final playoff against Rodez AF. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, but Saint-Étienne triumphed 7-6 in penalties, thanks to a strategic substitution by manager Philippe Montanier. They will compete in the promotional final later this month against either AJ Auxerre, OGC Nice, or Le Havre AC.
- ▪Saint-Étienne is one win away from promotion to Ligue 1.
- ▪The semi-final match against Rodez AF ended in a 0-0 draw and went to penalties.
- ▪Manager Philippe Montanier made a crucial decision to substitute in goalkeeper Brice Maubleu, who saved four penalties.
- ▪Saint-Étienne won the penalty shootout 7-6 to advance to the final.
- ▪The promotional final will take place on May 21 and May 24 against either AJ Auxerre, OGC Nice, or Le Havre AC.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/saint-tienne-move-step-closer-130500389.html","headline":"Saint-Étienne move a step closer to Ligue 1 promotion","datePublished":"2026-05-17T13:05:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-17T13:05:00.000Z","keywords":["Saint-Étienne","Ligue 1","French football","Philippe Montanier","Brice Maubleu","Gautier Larsonneur","AJ Auxerre","OGC Nice","Le Havre AC","Lefevre"],"description":"AS Saint-Étienne are a win away from a trip back into the top-flight of French football.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.