Saint Etienne Dismisses Puel After Rennes Thrashing

Claude Puel is the first Ligue 1 manager to be relieved from his duties this season after bottom side Saint-Etienne suffered a 5-0 defeat on Sunday.

The former Monaco, Lyon and Leicester City boss paid the price for winning just two of 17 matches this term, leaving Saint-Etienne behind Metz on goal difference at the foot of the table.

Saint-Etienne released a statement that said Puel had been dismissed. He is to meet the club management on Monday.

Rennes heaped more misery on Saint-Etienne as Martin Terrier scored his first career hat-trick. A comical own goal by Yvann Macon and late strike by 17-year-old Lesley Ugochukwu completed the rout.

“It really hurts,” Saint-Etienne midfielder Zaydou Yousso told Prime Video.

“It’s a disaster. Losing 5-0 at home is unacceptable. We don’t have the right to lose that way”