Batlles close to a very nice blow in Belgium
ASSE coach Laurent Batlles is on a new track in Belgium. He is a defensive midfielder who has played a lot in Ligue 2.
AS Saint-Etienne slowly but surely get ready for his return to Ligue 2. Preparation is now over for the Loire club, which remains on a mixed record. First of all, one of the friendly matches was cancelled: the one against ESTAC Troyes, a Ligue 1 team. A hard blow for Laurent Batlles and his players who therefore only faced AC Ajaccio (Ligue 1) and Grenoble Foot 38 (Ligue 2).
Against the Corsicans, AS Saint-Étienne lost 1-0 but reassured a lot against the Isérois. The Stéphanois won 3-1, with in particular a remarkable performance from Faouzi Ghoulam. The former Neapolitan, now without a club, had been tested by the club whose colors he already wore between 2010 and 2014. Unfortunately, the player will not return to the Forez this season according to the site EVECT.
Marco Ilaimaharitra (ex – FC Sochaux) on the shelves of ASSE
The winter transfer window should however be agitated on the side of the Greens. If the attacker Charles ABI or central defender Saïdou Sow was due to leave shortly, ASSE also considered potential recruits. After the signing of Gaetan Charbonnier coming from AJ Auxerre, Laurent Batlles and his management would be eyeing Marco Ilaimaharitra according to Belgian media The evening. The 27-year-old midfielder currently plays for Jupiler Pro League side Charleroi SC.
Ilaimaharitra is well known in France for having worn the colors of FC Sochaux between 2013 and 2017. He played no less than 104 matches there, including 79 in League 2. His experience could therefore be interesting for AS Saint-Étienne who would like to stay in the antechamber of the elite. Red lantern in the standings with 11 points, the Greens are 4 points behind the first non-relegation Nîmes.