In the spring of 2022, AJA, by winning in the play-offs at the expense of Saint-Etienne, 18th in L1, had found the elite after a ten-year purgatory.

But the Icaunais club totally missed its summer recruitment and consequently its start of the season.

The bets attempted this summer have failed like the recruitment of goalkeeper Benoît Costil, arrived free from Bordeaux and left this winter after conceding 41 goals in nineteen games...

But the contributions of strikers Nuno Da Costa (Caen) and Mbaye Niang (Bordeaux) were too limited with five and six goals each respectively.

The arrival of Christophe Pélissier as coach on October 26 to replace Jean-Marc Furlan, the man of the rise, only brought the best once the World Cup and the winter transfer window were over, with alterations that revived the team.

However, the end of the season was more difficult.

After beating Nantes (2-1), AJA have not won any of their last six matches in which they have only two draws against Clermont at home (1-1) and Toulouse (1-1).

It is also true that the calendar offered the top three in the ranking: Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain and Lens to finish.

Matches against Clermont or Brest (1-0 defeat) were also badly negotiated.

For Pélissier (57), who has always ridden with his teams, Luzenac in L2 (refused by the LFP), Amiens or Lorient in L1, ensuring the maintenance with these last two clubs, it is a first relegation.

Doubled by Claude-Maurice

Against the Lensois, Auxerre absolutely had to win to keep its destiny in hand compared to Nantes, its direct competitor.

But the Icaunais were harmless.

Auxerre players on June 3, 2023 © ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP

At half-time, they had only two shots to their credit and none on target.

On the contrary, they were logically led by Artesians assured at kick-off to remain second and to be qualified for the Champions League.

Alexis Claude-Maurice opened the scoring after recovering the ball high and a relay with Loïs Openda (18).

But the Romanian goalkeeper, Andrei Radu kept AJA in the game with three parries in front of Adrien Thomasson (4), Angelo Fulgini (11, 38) while Openda missed the frame after his duel with the Auxerre goalkeeper (45+3).

Radu was however at fault on the second goal of Claude-Maurice in front of which he came out too early, after a deep pass from Thomasson (48).

This goal stunned the Auxerrois who also finished the match with difficulty. Lens could even have won more widely even if a goal from Niang after a mistake by goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca gave some hope to Auxerre (70).

That was before a final goal from Openda, his 21st this season, who also benefited from another error by Radu (78).

© 2023 AFP