A former manager of Red Bull Salzburg, Olympiakos, and Celta Vigo, Garcia was sacked as Reims manager in October 2022 with the club sitting in 15th place. His assistant, Will Still, took the reins and guided the Champagne club to a historic unbeaten run, including two draws against French Champions Paris Saint-Germain. 

Garcia’s sacking also came in the context of the deteriorating illness of his daughter, who tragically passed away only a month following his departure. During his time as manager he made several visits to Catalonia to support and visit his daughter, after the latest of which he was informed he was going to be sacked as Reims manager after winning only one game at that stage of the 2022-2023 season.

GFFN | George Boxall

Ruffier previously took Sainté to court in 2022 claiming a reported €5m in damages but new reports from L’Équipe reveal the total sum of the claim is €7.12m as heard at a tribunal on Monday. The former Monaco stopper is claiming several separate damages including: €2,613,106.29 in damages resulting from the moral harassment he suffered and the unfair execution of his contract; €3,252,343 in damages for his professional and career losses, and €137,076.22 for his salary deductions during lockdown layoff periods. 

Ruffier’s case was heard at a tribunal on Monday but a final decision in the case is not expected to be made until 15 January 2024, subject to appeal. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Keita won the domestic double twice with Les Verts – in 1968 and 1970 – and also won the league title in 1969. He initially joined the club from Real Bamako and would go on to become the recipient of the first African Footballer of the Year award, as first awarded by France Football.

He scored 140 goals in 5 seasons before moving to Marseille in 1972. After a short spell with Les Phocéens, the striker had three-year stints at Valencia and then Sporting CP, and then closed out his career across the pond with NASL side New England Tea Men.

Saint-Étienne paid tribute to their legend before their match against Valenciennes this afternoon at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. The ten-time Ligue 1 winners were also honouring another late legend in attacking midfielder Georges Bereta, who passed away at the start of July.

The 22-year-old, who had been pushing to leave Les Verts, will now head to Germany to undergo his medical. The Ligue 2 outfit had turned down several offers for the full-back, and had reportedly been holding out for a fee worth €10m.

Nkounkou was signed from Everton on an initial loan deal back in January, and enjoyed a breakout half-season in the second tier, with six goals and eight assists. He was a key factor as Saint-Étienne staved off the prospect of a relegation battle in the spring.

His move was then made permanent – however, the wide man himself publicly explained that he was under the impression that he would only be staying for six months. He had been pushing for a move away this summer:

“I was professional all the way up to the end of the season. I gave 100% to save the club and get myself back on track, but, again, I was only coming for six months, that’s it. It’s on that basis that I was signed. I wasn’t told about anything else when I signed my contract.”

According to Foot Mercato, the Ligue 2 side have turned down another bid for the left-back from Eintracht Frankfurt, which this time was higher than the initial €6m offered by the Bundesliga side. However, ASSE are holding out for €10m.

Nkounkou was signed from Everton on an initial loan deal back in January, and impressed in his half-season in the second tier with six goals and eight assists, which helped Saint-Étienne stave off the prospect of a relegation battle.

However, the wide player has explained that he had joined the club under the impression that he would only be there for six months, and was surprised to hear that the ten-time Ligue 1 winners had triggered his €2.5m permanent clause. Les Verts are now sceptical about the prospect of keeping a player who does not want to be there, and could cash in before the end of the window. 30% of the profit on the transfer would go to the Premier League side.

Strasbourg’s summer spending continues. The BlueCo-owned club have already brought in two high-profile centre-backs in the form of club-record signing Abakar Sylla and Junior Mwanga, and the club have now added Sow to their ranks. The Guinean defender, who at the age of 21 already has 16 caps for the national team, has signed a five-year deal with Patrick Vieira’s side. Last season, he played 25 matches in Ligue 2 for Saint-Étienne having come through the academy at Les Verts. 

The fee has not been disclosed, but earlier this week, L’Équipe reported the fee to be between €3-4m. Sow will now join up with his teammates and could even be available for selection for Strasbourg’s Ligue 1 opener against Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday night. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The French youth international notably criticises the club for preventing his transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt, after the Bundesliga side had expressed an interest in signing him from the Ligue 2 outfit earlier this month.

Nkounkou explains that it was agreed upon with the club’s management that he would only be joining on a six-month loan deal, but Everton insisted on including a permanent clause in the contract. The full-back says he was surprised to hear in April that the clause had been triggered, but decided to focus on playing out the rest of the season first.

He would score six goals and set up another eight as the ten-time Ligue 1 champions bounced back from a nightmare start to life in the second division, to finish midtable. He was named in the league-wide team of the season at the end of the year.

“I was professional all the way up to the end of the season. I gave 100% to save the club and get myself back on track, but, again, I was only coming for six months, that’s it. It’s on that basis that I was signed. I wasn’t told about anything else when I signed my contract.”

Nkounkou explains that a sale would be a win-win situation for everyone, seeing as he would bring in a large transfer fee after helping the club to stay up – “I never lied to anyone”.

“If I have to say every day that I want to leave, that’s what I’ll do. I won’t give up. To be keeping a player against their will, I don’t think that’s the best solution.”

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin

The 27-year-old spent the past season on loan from Famalicão at Maccabi Haifa, where he notably faced Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stages. He is a native of the western suburbs of Paris and came up through the PSG youth ranks, before moving on to Antwerp in 2017.

During his season in Israel, he has made 25 appearances and chipped in with two goals during his team’s league title-winning campaign. His form earned him a call-up to the DR Congo national side last month, during which he earned his first two senior caps.

Batubinsika now wants to move back to France this summer, and the two former Ligue 1 champions – who are both aiming for promotion back to the top flight this year – have shortlisted him as a potential arrival. Along with the two French clubs, second-tier Spanish side Granada and Greece’s Panathinaikos are also interested. 

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin  

The former Marseille product joined Les Verts on an initial loan deal from Everton midway through last season, and emerged as one of the Ligue 2’s best performers, scoring six goals and assisting another eight as the ten-time Ligue 1 champions bounced back from a nightmare start to life in the second division. He was named in the league-wide team of the season at the end of the year.

According to L’Équipe this afternoon, the 22-year-old – who is now under contract for the next three seasons – has attracted interest from the Bundesliga. In particular, Eintracht Frankfurt have initiated talks to sign the left-back. On the international stage, Nkounkou notably featured in France’s U21 Euros campaign this past month, which ended at the quarter-final stage after a defeat to Ukraine.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin