The unveiling of the French national team’s 23-player squad for the Brazilian World Cup by coach Didier Deschamps on Tuesday evening has evoked mixed feelings at AS Saint-Etienne. While the presence of three ASSE players among the seven reserves—goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier, defender Loïc Perrin, and left-back Benoît Trémoulinas—is cause for celebration, there’s a sense of disappointment that none of them may ultimately feature in Brazil. This reality has left some Stéphanois feeling somewhat disheartened.
Max-Alain Gradel, the Greens’ winger and teammate of the aforementioned trio, sees the situation through a slightly different lens. He acknowledges the positive impact for the club but expresses a tinge of disappointment, stating, “It’s good for the club. But given the season they had, I hoped for more for them,” as reported in Progrès. Meanwhile, Gradel himself, along with Ismaël Diomandé, finds himself included in a preliminary 28-player list for the World Cup with the Ivory Coast.
Tags: AS Saint-Etienne, Ivory Coast, France, Max Gradel
