Rodez goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was helpless as Hamel’s shot, taken from 54.7 metres out, flew over his head and into the back of the net. It is the third-furthest goal scored in Ligue 2 in the past decade. Only Bendjaloud Youssouf (54.9m) and Junior Olaitan (56.9m) have scored goals from further out since the start of the 2014/15 season. 

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An audience for Hamel’s audacity

There were plenty of fans in attendance at the Charléty stadium to witness the stunning goal. Paris FC made headlines after announcing at the start of November that they would be allowing free entry for all of their games this season. The stadium, which is often only a fraction full, has drawn big crowds since the start of the initiative. 

“This is a major first for a professional football club in Europe and indeed the world. Although a free-seat model was recently launched in Germany, it only concerns a limited number of seats in the stadium, and is not deployed for all matches, including those of the women’s team,” the Parisian club said in a press release announcing the new measure.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The French club have no desire to lose the player, despite him being out of contract next summer. Rodez hope to covnince the ex-Auxerre and Cercle Brugge prospect to sign a contract extension.

Charlotte’s bid for Raux Yao included an initial loan spell at Swiss outfit Grasshoppers.

It is currently unclear whether or not the player wishes to leave the club and take the package offered to him by Charlotte FC. He has also made an number of appearances at left-back.

Rodez have had a generally quiet summer transfer window and have been unable to spend cash on transferring players in, relying on canny free transfer signings such as the arrival of 24-year-old midfielder Giovanni Haag from AS Nancy and 22-year-old right-back Ahmad Ngouyamsa from Dijon.

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The Savoy side had challenged the French football authorities to arrange a 21-club Ligue 2 for next season following the decision to not have the Bordeaux vs Rodez game replayed. Rodez were declared winners of that matchday 38 game by the League’s disciplinary committee after a Bordeaux ultra had shoved Rodez’s goalscorer to the ground. Bordeaux’s appeal in front of the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français, France’s highest sporting authority, has been dismissed. Les Girondins reluctantly took notice of the decision and confirmed they would play in Ligue 2 next season.

The decision to give Rodez a default win had implications on both ends of the Ligue 2 table. Bordeaux fumbled the opportunity to leapfrog second-placed Metz in the standings whilst Annecy fell to 17th place, courtesy of Rodez’s win. Annecy and Rodez engaged in a bitter war of words, the former accusing the latter of “elaborate cheating.” The Savoy side’s final resort was to request a 21-club Ligue 2. The decision would have meant a 42-matchday long season with five relegations instead of four. The TV rights money would also have been split into 21.

The League said no and justified its decision by saying everything has been done by the book in this case, meaning Rodez would remain in Ligue 2 and Annecy would go down in National.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

On Monday, the Bordeaux-Rodez game has been declared a defeat for the home side. The decision has huge implications at both ends of the Ligue 2 table. Bordeaux needed a win with a 5-goal lead in order to be promoted to Ligue 1. As of now, they will spend another season in the second tier and second-placed Metz will join Le Havre in the top flight. Meanwhile, Rodez look set to have reached safety with those crucial three points, meaning that Annecy have gone down to National 1. Annecy and Rodez’s bitter feud over the game’s result is expected to continue.

[Communiqué] La Commission de Discipline de la LFP a prononcé ce jour une décision aussi incompréhensible que disproportionnée, tant au regard des éléments du dossier que de la jurisprudence.

Le FC Girondins de Bordeaux va saisir dans les plus brefs délais le CNOSF pour défendre… pic.twitter.com/WAltad7FRF

— FC Girondins de Bordeaux (@girondins) June 12, 2023

Bordeaux have also been docked a point for the upcoming Ligue 2 season. The Sud End of the Matmut Atlantique will be closed for four games, including two suspended. Bordeaux have, however, decided to appeal against the league authorities’ “unjustified and disproportionate” decision and take the case to the CNOSF, the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français, the highest sporting authority in France.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

The league authorities will convene on Monday to adjudicate and decide whether Bordeaux vs Rodez would be replayed or declared lost by Bordeaux. This very situation would play right in Rodez’s hands, considering the 17th-placed side would be declared winners and avoid a relegation down to National 1, to the detriment of 16th-placed Annecy. The Savoy side, who lost to Paris FC on Friday, have released a somewhat aggressive statement on Sunday. “Taking advantage of external events to reach safety, betraying football, is contrary to sporting ethics“, have declared Annecy president Sebastien Faraglia. “We would not accept Rodez to be given a default win, because it would be a most elaborate form of cheating.“

Faraglia doubled down on his comments by declaring FC Annecy would sue Rodez and request financial compensation, should the Savoy side be relegated. He even insinuated that Rodez had lied to the league authorities, presumably regarding the condition of Buades following the altercation.

On Sunday afternoon, Rodez replied to Annecy by calling their accusations of elaborate cheating a disgrace. “This statement is unacceptable. One can’t declare that on-pitch violence is unacceptable and criticise the victims of this very same violence all at the same time.” Rodez added they would retain the right to instigate judicial proceedings over Annecy’s statement.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Les Girondins still had the prospect of an instant return to the top flight in their hands ten days ago, before losing away to Annecy. Now, to catch up with second-place Metz, they will need to hope for Monday’s disciplinary commission to rule against deducting points, in favour of replaying the game, and winning the ensuing fixture by a five-goal margin.

Regional outlet Sud Ouest report today that the suspected attacker, a 45-year-old supporter, is now in police custody. L’Équipe add that he is a restaurant owner based in Annecy and is a regular at Bordeaux games, and went under the covers of the ultras’ stand to reach the Rodez player. Incidentally, should Rodez be granted the three points, his hometown team would be relegated to the third tier.

Three others are in custody – a 29-year-old and a 30-year-old for allegedly entering the pitch, and a 47-year-old who is suspected of headbutting a steward. Their hearings began this morning, and an investigation has been opened by the authorities.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin

The Savoy side, who eliminated Marseille in the Coupe de France quarter-finals, lost to Paris FC last Friday night. They are 16th and, as of now, safe. But their survival is now out of their hands following the suspension and cancellation of the Bordeaux vs Rodez game. Rodez are 17th and currently in the drop zone. But RAF were leading 1-0 against Les Girondins when their goal-scorer was assaulted by a Bordeaux fan. The league authorities will convene on Monday to adjudicate on the game’s result. Rodez are likely to be be declared winners. Should that be the case, they would be safe and Annecy would join Niort, Nîmes and Dijon in the third tier.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

In the aftermath of the goal, a Bordeaux supporter then entered the pitch to shove Buades, who collapsed to the ground. The Rodez striker had to be stretchered off the pitch. All teams returned to their dressing rooms with the game interrupted for 30 to 40 minutes. Referee Nicolas Rainville then called a press conference to inform that Bordeaux vs Rodez would not be resumed. Rainville has mentioned that Buades is suffering from a concussion.

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It remains to be seen whether the game will be replayed. But it is more than likely that Bordeaux would be declared the losing side. Given the severity of the situation, Bordeaux may have lost way more than a football game tonight.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Monaco fielded a strong side for their first appearance in the 2022/23 edition of the Coupe de France. Captain Wissam Ben Yedder started up front, whilst Maghnes Akliouche and Soungoutou Magassa added a sprinkling of youth to the side. Both youngsters took their chance to stake a claim for more game time. 

The former got on the scoresheet midway through the first half, scoring his first professional goal with a well-hit drive from within the box. Les Monégasques lead was soon doubled through Ben Yedder, who returned to the lineup after having not featured against Brest in Ligue 1 a week earlier. 

However, Rodez found a surprise route back into the match through Joseph Mendes, who worked a couple of yards on Malang Sarr before heading past Thomas Didillon, who was making his Monaco debut after making a loan move from Cercle Brugge in the summer. 

Both sides could, and should, have increased their respective accounts after the break. Akliouche had two huge chances to double his professional goal tally, but he was denied by smart stops from Sébastien Cibois.For Rodez, they should have found the back of the net from at least one of their three good chances, the best of which fell to Andy Pembélé, whose shot was saved by the legs of Didillon. 

Monaco continued to manufacture half-chances but failed to put the game to bed, and were punished in the 80th minute when Aymen Abdennour got on the end of a flick-on to level the scores. A former player at the Principality club, the defender chose not to celebrate the equaliser that set up a tense end to the match at the Stade Louis II. 

Didillon once again came to the rescue with just two minutes of regulation time remaining, save from Clement Depres at close-range. Substitute Youssouf Fofana had one final chance to win the match before penalties, but lacked composure and blasted over from close range. 

The game, therefore, went to penalties, where Monaco drew first blood, Didillon saving from Killian Corredor. Aleksandr Golovin then stepped up to take a penalty to win the tie, but dramatically blazed over. Depres then scored to take the game to sudden death. Magassa then missed and Pembélé made no mistake, stepping up to send Rodez through and shock Monaco.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle 

Fuenlabrada will become his fifth Spanish club after playing for Real Madrid where he made his first appearance in the Copa Del Rey, as well as turning out for Alavés, Majadahonda, and Almeria. He has also played for Swiss side Lausanne-Sport and Portuguese outfit Desportivo Aves. 

Zidane spoke in the Fuenlabrada statement: “I come with great enthusiasm and a lot of excitement. Fuenla is a team that has great objectives. It is a difficult league, but increasingly more attractive to play in. I’m very happy to be back in Spain and Madrid and to be able to enjoy the football here. I’m really looking forward to getting started and being able to help the team meet it’s objectives.”

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