Saint-Etienne were relegated from Ligue 1 after losing a play-off against Auxerre in a penalty shoot-out.
The defeat sparked a pitch invasion by angry Etienne fans, with many hurling flares at the main stand and towards the players’ tunnel.
Police armed with shields and batons used tear gas to disperse supporters.
The loss ends an 18-year stay in the top flight for the 10-time French champions, and a return for Auxerre after a 10-year absence.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Auxerre’s Hamza Sakhi opened the scoring before Saint-Etienne’s Mahdi Camara equalised.
That took the tie to penalties. Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Leon saved from Ryad Boudebou, giving Birama Toure the chance to make it 5-4 in the shoot-out and win it for the Ligue 2 side.
He made no mistake, and as soon as the ball nestled in the goal, fans flooded onto the pitch.
Players fled to the safety of the dressing rooms as police tried to quell the trouble.
They were just the latest ugly scenes at Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. The club have being sanctioned several times this season for crowd trouble and Sunday’s game was played with one stand closed following unrest at a game against Monaco last month.
- Line-ups
- Match Stats
- Live Text
Line-ups
Saint-Étienne
Formation 4-4-2
- 50Bernardoni
- 14SackoSubstituted forAntunes da Silvaat 58′minutes
- 2Moukoudi
- 22Mangala
- 13Trauco
- 17AouchicheSubstituted forNordinat 58′minutes
- 28YoussoufSubstituted forDiousséat 110′minutes
- 8CamaraSubstituted forMoueffekat 80′minutes
- 20Bouanga
- 21HamoumaSubstituted forBoudebouzat 80′minutes
- 10KhazriSubstituted forCrivelliat 62′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Nade
- 7Boudebouz
- 11Antunes da Silva
- 18Nordin
- 25Dioussé
- 26Sako
- 29Moueffek
- 31Crivelli
- 40Green
Auxerre
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 16Léon
- 2Arcus
- 4Mendes Júnior
- 5Pellenard
- 3Bernard
- 12TouréBooked at 89mins
- 7HeinSubstituted forSinayokoat 75′minutes
- 27TrouilletSubstituted forPerrinat 64′minutes
- 22SakhiSubstituted forCoeffat 83′minutes
- 29AutretSubstituted forDugimontat 95′minutes
- 19Charbonnier
Substitutes
- 6Ndom
- 10Perrin
- 14Ben Fredj
- 17Lloris
- 20Coeff
- 21Dugimont
- 25Sinayoko
- 26Joly
- 40De Percin
- Referee:
- Antony Gautier
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home50%
- Away50%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away2
- Corners
- Home12
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away11
Live Text
-
Post update
Match ends, Saint-Etienne 1(4), Auxerre 1(5).
-
Penalties over
Penalty Shootout ends, Saint-Etienne 1(4), Auxerre 1(5).
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(4), Auxerre 1(5). Birama Touré (Auxerre) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(4), Auxerre 1(4). Denis Bouanga (Saint-Etienne) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(3), Auxerre 1(4). Gaëtan Charbonnier (Auxerre) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(3), Auxerre 1(3). Assane Dioussé (Saint-Etienne) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(2), Auxerre 1(3). Gaetan Perrin (Auxerre) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(2), Auxerre 1(2). Miguel Trauco (Saint-Etienne) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(1), Auxerre 1(2). Jubal (Auxerre) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1(1), Auxerre 1(1). Arnaud Nordin (Saint-Etienne) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Post update
Goal! Saint-Etienne 1, Auxerre 1(1). Rémy Dugimont (Auxerre) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Post update
Penalty saved! Ryad Boudebouz (Saint-Etienne) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the top right corner.
-
Penalties in progress
Penalty Shootout begins Saint-Etienne 1, Auxerre 1.
-
Post update
Second Half Extra Time ends, Saint-Etienne 1, Auxerre 1.
-
Post update
Attempt saved. Arnaud Nordin (Saint-Etienne) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Assane Dioussé.
-
Post update
Lassine Sinayoko (Auxerre) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
-
Post update
Foul by Aïmen Moueffek (Saint-Etienne).
-
Post update
Foul by Gaëtan Charbonnier (Auxerre).
-
Post update
Assane Dioussé (Saint-Etienne) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Post update
Corner, Saint-Etienne. Conceded by Carlens Arcus.