Ryad Boudebouz wants to stay in Saint-Étienne despite his halftone season

Text by: Tom Rossi Follow

Arrived at the Greens last summer, Ryad Boudebouz lives a contrasting season in Forez. But the Algerian attacking midfielder does not envisage leaving Saint-Etienne in the coming months.

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“Following the very many messages I receive and the screenshots that I receive, I will speak even if I am not used to responding to rumors. I never thought of leaving. I have only one objective, it is to finish the season and prepare (sic) the following one as best as possible ” .

On Instagram, Ryad Boudebouz put things in focus on Monday, April 27. These "rumors" to which the Algerian international refers are those sending the Congolese Gaël Kakuta to Saint-Etienne, to replace him. If he obviously did not mention the supposed interest of ASSE for the midfielder of Amiens (19th in Ligue 1), Boudebouz wanted to be reassuring about him, despite his mixed season.

One goal in Ligue 1 this season

The 30-year-old midfielder, who bought 3.5 million euros from Betis Seville last July, did not perform as expected. In Saint-Étienne, we would have liked to see Fennec de Montpellier, author of 11 goals in the 2016-2017 season and second in the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé RFI / France 24. But, Ryad Boudebouz, as in his two past years in Spain, struggling to be decisive in Forez. In 24 league games, he has only made it to the net once. What to be long criticized by fans of Saint Etienne, like most of his teammates.

Because, it is the whole Saint-Etienne team, 17th in Ligue 1, that worries. Tunisian Wahbi Khazri, sparkling last season, spent most of this exercise in the hospital wing. The former members of the French team, Mathieu Debuchy and Yohan Cabaye, seem to be at the end of the race. There is only the Gabonese rookie Denis Bouanga capable of restoring colors to the Greens (10 goals this season in L1).

Right, footballer Ryad Boudebouz (Saint-Étienne) after scoring against Rennes on March 5, 2020. PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP

"100% green"

Bouanga-Khazri-Boudebouz, the trident however looked good at the start of the season and on paper. But it almost never saw the light of day because of injuries and the choices of their coach Claude Puel. You have to go back to October 27 to see them all together. An association that can still make your mouth water in the perspective of a possible end of the season when Khazri would be done with his physical glitches.

But Boudebouz, he sees further. His decisive goal in stoppages in the semi-final of the Coupe de France against Rennes, on March 5, gave him back a lot of credits. In a boiling Cauldron, the Algerian international catapulted the Greens into the final, for the first time in 38 years. Critics are now behind him, and it is this kind of communion with the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium that he hopes to relive. "I had intense moments here and I thank the supporters once again for all the love you have for me and all the support from the team," he said on Instagram, before concluding: “I can't wait to find the Cauldron, wet the jersey and make you proud. I am 100% green ” .

🔙 #ASSESRFC 90e + 4
OOOOOOOOOOOOOH RYAAAAAAAD BOU-DE-BOUUUUZ
💚 🤯-😭 🔴 pic.twitter.com/MNea91qWLU

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