Cardona has played just 13 games for Augsburg, scoring just once. This season, he has made just three substitute appearances, accumulating a meagre 51 minutes of football. Understandably, Cardona, who scored 19 goals for Brest in 106 appearances, is looking for a new challenge. 

He is now set for a move to Ligue 2 side AS Saint-Étienne. According to Foot Mercato journalist Sébastien Denis, negotiations to bring the former France U20 forward to the club are advanced. The signing would represent a significant coup for the club, who have designs on a promotion back to Ligue 1 this season. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Following LAFC’s 2-1 MLS Cup final defeat to Colombus Crew, Denis Bouanga is expected to leave the Californian club and is favouring a return to Ligue 1. This makes Nice a prime candidate to secure the services of the Gabonese forward as he has his sights set on a return to Ligue 1. 

Back in Ligue 1 

Bouanga left France in the summer of 2022 following the relegation of Saint Étienne to Ligue 2. The Gabon international signed for the MLS club Los Angeles FC for €4.55m in 2022. During his time in the US, the 29-year-old made 58 appearances scoring 41 goals and assisting a further 15. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

This announcement comes following reports on Sunday that the former Montpellier manager looked set to be offered the role on a six-month basis, but with an option to extend the contract if he were to secure promotion. 

Dall’Oglio appeared to be the favourite choice to replace the departed Laurent Batlles, and was the first option to be explored by the club. 

The new manager will join the team in eighth place in the league and will need to attend to the immediate task of turning around their current form which has seen Les Verts lose their last eight fixtures in Ligue 2. 

In the official statement, Dall’Oglio spoke about the upcoming challenge: ‘We’re going to have to go quickly, but I’m very confident. I’m going pass on my determination to the whole group. We’re going to have to be rigorous, vigilant, and have the necessary concentration. It is these aspects that I will focus on initially.’ 

This was added to by the sporting director Loïc Perrin: ‘Olivier is the first coach we met. Contact with him was immediately good. I am very happy that he is joining us with the ambition to restore confidence to the group. He has the experience and the necessary perspective to carry out this mission.’ 

Dall’Oglio’s first game in the dugout will be the away visit to FC Girondins de Bordeaux on Saturday who will be similarly desperate to secure a victory as they currently sit in the relegation zone.

GFFN | Nick Hartland

Dall’Oglio has been on the market since his departure from Montpellier in October 2022. The Frenchman was convinced by ASSE’s second offer, which was more in line with his expectations, and as a result, he is expected to put pen-to-paper on a six-month contract on Monday, according to L’Équipe and RMC Sport. Should he earn promotion to Ligue 1 with Saint-Étienne, his contract would be extended for a further year. 

Whilst Dall’Oglio quickly emerged as the standout candidate and the first option explored by ASSE’s hierarchy, other options were sounded out. Discussions were also held with Sabri Lamouchi, as well as former Saint-Étienne centre-back Zoumana Camara. However, neither were as convincing as Dall’Oglio, who, bar a spectacular change of situation, will sign on Monday. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The winger had left for the MLS in the summer of 2022, transferring from Saint-Étienne for 4.55 million to join the Californian team. Since then, the Gabonese has been one of the standout performers in the league, scoring 28 goals and providing eight assists in only 46 matches.

Bouanga wants to return for ‘family reasons’

However, Bouanga’s North American spell could come to a close this winter, as the player wants to return to Europe for “family reasons“. Many clubs from Ligue 1, La Liga and Serie A are interested, though the reported asking fee of €10 million could be too high for many clubs’ winter budgets.

During his time in France, the 29-year-old scored 65 goals and gave 30 assists in all competitions, spanning from National 1 to Ligue 1.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande

The French government has acted quickly after an FC Nantes fan was killed in an attack before the game against OGC Nice, with a travel ban imposed on games categorised as high-risk fixtures until the 18th of December. This has led to eight games this weekend seeing restrictions implemented on away supporters. 

The ANS in a statement transcribed by RMC Sport expressed its aim to challenge some of those restricted fixtures, declaring that it will “refer the matter to the Council of State concerning the ministerial and prefectural decrees applicable to matches between FC Saint-Méziery and AJ Auxerre, between Montpellier and Lens, between Nice and Reims, and between Angoulême and Bordeaux.”

Bans on Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 fans deemed ‘very questionable’

The organisation hopes that the Council of State will suspend the bans on those four fixtures stating that the restrictions imposed on these games were “very grossly illegal and unjustifiable” continuing “they are likely, by their late implementation, to create more risks than they are supposed to prevent.”

However, the ANS also wanted to stress that this legal challenge was in no way “intended to minimise the seriousness of last Saturday’s tragedy. No one can doubt the immense sadness which strikes the French stadiums. No one can doubt our sense of responsibility either.”

For the other four fixtures, between Paris Saint-Germain-FC Nantes, AS Saint-Étienne-Nîmes Olympique, FC Lorient-Olympique de Marseille, and Olympique Lyonnais-Toulouse FC, the association conceded that “these orders are very questionable. But they will attract very large crowds. It is too late to shake up their organisation.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland

It was a toxic atmosphere at the Geoffrey-Guichard after ASSE’s latest defeat. As the players went over to applaud their fans, the supporters, in unison, turned their backs on the team, literally. The situation was untenable and shortly after midnight, the club’s president, Jean-François Soucasse announced Batlles’ departure. 

Philippe Montanier rejects the Saint-Étienne job

Batlles arrived at Saint-Étienne 18 months ago but has now been replaced by Laurent Huard, the technical director of the academy, who will take interim charge of the Ligue 2 club that currently sit in 8th place. The search for Batlles’ long-term successor is now underway. 

According to L’Équipe, former Toulouse FC manager Philippe Montanier has already rejected the role. It is therefore Thierry Laurey who is in pole position to become the new manager of Saint-Étienne, although former Montpellier HSC manager Olivier Dall’Oglio is also in the running. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Since Les Verts’ relegation to the French second tier, the club has been losing between €15 – €20m a season. The running of the club had been reliant on staying in Ligue 1 but following a second year in the second division, the owners have been forced to sell. 

The sale of players like Denis Bouanga and Lucas Gourna-Douath helped raise €16m in funds following their relegation in 2022, but sellable assets are now limited, and the ability to generate cash has now ceased. Caïazzo and Romeyer once dreamed of selling Saint Étienne for €100m, following the sale of Nice to INEOS, but a price of €20m – €25m now looks more likely. KPMG has recommended that a sale be completed before the 31st of December. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

 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