AS Saint-Étienne have officially announced the signing of veteran defender Yunis Abdelhamid (36) from Stade de Reims on a one-year deal with an option to extend for a further year.
The former Reims captain had been a pillar of consistency at the Champagne club having only missed 16 games for the team across his seven-year stay. The problem for the centre-back as he approached the end of his contract last season was that he was an ageing player in a team that was looking increasingly towards youth.
Abdelhamid will be turning 37 at the start of the next campaign, a problem for Reims, but ideal for an ASSE side that will be looking for leadership in their bid to survive their first season back in Ligue since they dropped down to the second division in the 2021/22 season.
Olivier Dall’Oglio and Yunis Abdelhamid reunited
The centre-back will be reunited with former manager Olivier Dall’Oglio with whom he worked with at FC Dijon. The head coach stated, “I am very happy to see Yunis and to be able to work with this great professional again. He was one of my recruitment priorities. He’s a captain on and off the pitch, who can bring a lot to our other players.”
