Les Verts de l'ASSE 1967-76

AS Saint-Etienne ends its 1966-67 financial year with a French championship title with 54 points, 24 victories, 6 draws and 8 defeats. The club also won the Champions Trophy. But at the end of the season, the club separated from its emblematic coach: Jean Snella, who won 4 French championship titles in 13 years on the Saint-Etienne bench.

He chooses his replacement who will be none other than Albert Batteux, the legendary coach of the great Stade de Reims. Considered a football intellectual, Batteux has a psychological approach to football and players. An excellent speaker, these pre-match speeches are renowned.

Upon his arrival, he did not revolutionize the club, but was inspired by the work of his predecessor, and continued to play simple football, based on a game of short and offensive passing.

At the start of the season, the squad is young, only 2 players over 30 years old, Rachid Mekhloufi, a true legend of African football and that of ASSE and Frédéric N'Doumbé, a Cameroonian winger in squad rotation .

For his first season on the bench of those nicknamed "The Greens", Batteux favors a 4-1-1-1-3 composition. The club having had an eventful transfer window, including the departures of Fernand Barek, Pierre Bernard, Francis Camérini, Nello Sbaiz, Ginès Gonzales and Robert Philippe, the club must find a new balance while maintaining its status as the best club in the championship.

Goalkeeper Georges Carnus, defenders Vladimir Durkovic, José Pelletier and Francis Camérini and attacker Salif Keita are recruited. The latter will also become one of the greatest legends of French and African football.

With an attack line made up of Hervé Revelli (the team's best player), Roland Mitoraj, Rachid Mekhloufi George Bereta and André Fefeu, the club is doing very well. The club only lost 5 small matches, notably thanks to Durkovic who impressed. But their goalkeeper seems impenetrable, as evidenced by his statistics this season: 49 matches played, 37 goals conceded and 22 clean sheets. This goalkeeper is logically selected for the national team.

ASSE wins the championship again with 57 points, 11 more than OGC Nice. They finished as the best attack in the championship with 78 goals scored (19 more than the second best) and also finished as the best defense with 30 goals conceded (4 less than the second best).

In the Coupe de France, ASSE is carried by a high-level Mekhloufi (scorer in the final twice) during the final against the Girondins de Bordeaux won 2-1. Mekhloufi finishes the tournament with 4 goals. The young Keita, who is only 21 years old and has just arrived, scores 3 times in the National Cup.

Unfortunately, the club was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League by SL Benfica led by Eusébio. But the French club has a consolation prize with a 3rd trophy won during this historic season, the Challenge des Champions won 5 goals to 3 against Montpellier, Hervé Revelli scoring a hat-trick.

The 1968-69 season started again with the same bases despite the departure of Mekhloufi. The players who know each other, half being trained at the club, ASSE defeated FC Sochaux 4-1 on the first day of the championship, with young Keita scoring a double. ASSE will have a series of very high level matches, notably a 3-2 victory in Nice, or the 7-2 inflicted on Bastia.

The club once again finished champion of the French championship. But this time the gap is smaller, only 2 points ahead of Bordeaux which finished at 51 points. This success is largely due to Salif Keita and Hervé Revelli who carry the club's attack, the first finishing 3rd top scorer in the championship with 21 goals at only 22 years old and the second continuing his momentum by scoring 22 goals and finishing second top scorer in the championship at 23.

In the Coupe de France, the season was more disappointing, following the elimination against Bordeaux in the round of 16 3-2 on aggregate. In the Champions League, the record is even worse, an elimination in the first round against Glasgow 4-2 on aggregate. But once again, the club won the Champions Challenge, Larqué scoring the winning goal in the 81st minute.

For his 3rd season with Saint-Etienne, Albert Batteux changes system slightly by switching to a 4-1-2-3, slightly more offensive. An aging N'Doumbé leaves the club. André Fefeu is the second and last departure, he joins AC Ajaccio. 3 small recruits are made: José Broissart, Patrick Parizon and Spasoje Samardzic.

That season, it was midfielder Jean-Michel Larqué who had an exceptional season, scoring 12 goals in 40 games at just 22 years old. Next to him Aimé Jacquet is just as solid in a lower role on the pitch, he still scores 5 goals.

But it is the attack that impresses, Salif Keita, 23, scored 31 goals in 47 matches. Alongside him, Hervé Revelli scored 35 goals in 46 matches for the Greens.

During the first part of the championship (the first 17 matches), the club did not lose once. In total, they only lost 3 times in the championship (including 2 times in the last 2 days). Georges Carnus had a phenomenal season, 45 matches, 36 goals conceded and 19 clean sheets. In front of him, Vladimir Durkovic is still the boss of the defense at the age of 30.

Saint-Etienne wins the championship with 56 points, 25 wins, 6 draws, 3 defeats. In total, 88 goals scored and 30 goals conceded, one of the best seasons in the club's history.

In the Coupe de France, ASSE exploded their opponent in the final, FC Nantes, with a score of 5 goals to 0, Revelli scoring the last 2 goals of the match. Salif Keita scores 7 goals in this edition of the Coupe de France and establishes himself as one of the best players in the championship and even in the world.

In the Champions League, the club lost 3 times in 4 matches and was eliminated in the round of 16 despite 3 goals from Revelli. In the Champions Challenge, the club lost the trophy 2-0 against OGC Nice.

The 1970-71 season began with the start of one of the important players of this team, Roland Mitoraj, who joined PSG. José Pelletier also leaves the club. Hervé Revelli is having a bad season, only 12 goals in 40 games, Salif Keita is on the other hand the best player in the championship with a season of 44 goals in 43 games in all competitions.

Salif Keita carries his team but cannot prevent the coronation of Olympique de Marseille in the championship, 4 points ahead of ASSE which finishes second. Salif Keita notably scored 7 doubles, 2 quadruplets and a sextuplet during an 8-0 victory against CS Sedan.

ASSE exits the Coupe de France in the round of 16. In the round of 16 for the Champions League.

The 1971-72 season was one of change, Hervé Revelli left the club after 146 goals and 231 matches played to join OGC Nice. Francis Camérini, an essential part of the defense, also leaves the club for Nice. Georges Carnus joins Marseille, Durkovic leaves for Switzerland and Bosquier also joins Marseille. As for arrivals, Daniel Sanlaville joins the club, as does André Castel, the club's new goalkeeper.

The season is disappointing but logical in view of the departures. The club finished in 6th place, was eliminated in 32nd in the Europa League and in 16th in the Coupe de France. The only good thing is that a new duo is working wonders, Patrick Revelli, Hervé's little brother, scores 15 goals in 38 games and perfectly accompanies Salif Keita who ends the season with 29 goals in 34 games.

At the dawn of the 1972-73 season, Albert Batteux left the club and was replaced by Robert Herbin, the club's legendary defensive midfielder/libero (491 matches at the club for 98 goals). With him, the club retains its 4-2-1-3 composition and its forward-leaning philosophy.

Not playing in the European Cup, the new coach focused on Ligue 1 where the club finished 4th in the championship with a team undergoing reconstruction. Indeed, at the start of the season, the club had lost Salif Keita, who left for Marseille, but also André Castel, Georges Polny, Sanlaville, and Samardzic. But there are reasons for satisfaction, the team's new central defender and libero, Osvaldo Piazza is a success, as is Ivan Curkovic, the new goalkeeper. Another player is recruited, Gérard Janvion, a promising right back.

Patrick Revelli holds up the attack as best he can with 17 goals in 36 games. But the other players struggle to convince, only a little youngster named Dominique Rocheteau makes a good impression with 2 short matches played at 18 years old. That season it was the midfielder who was exceptional and filled the offensive gaps of his attackers. Jean-Michel Larqué scored 13 goals in 42 games, Aimé Jacquet scored 4 goals in 33 games and a certain defensive midfielder named Jacques Santini scored 10 goals in 39 games at the age of 21. Youth is definitely what makes this team successful. In the Coupe de France, the club lost in the quarter-final against FC Nantes 5-3 on aggregate after winning 2-0 in the first leg.

The 1973-74 season marked a lot of change, first of all, Robert Herbin changed the tactical plan, we moved to a 4-2-2-2. Hervé Revelli returns to the club. Michel Rouquette is recruited. Aimé Jacquet leaves the club for its rival, Lyon. Patrick Parizon, the Saint-Etienne winger for years, joined Troyes AF and José Broissart joined SEC Bastia.

With Hervé Revelli back who scored 2 doubles and 2 trebles in the league, the club won the championship again with 66 points, 23 wins, 9 draws and 6 defeats. For a total of 74 goals scored and 40 conceded. ASSE continued its momentum and won the Coupe de France in a final against Monaco, won 2 goals to 1. Between them, the Revelli brothers scored 36 goals that season. Goalkeeper Ivan Curkovic will have made 21 clean sheets in 47 games, all for 46 goals conceded.

Despite a bad start to the 1974-75 season (4 defeats in the first 6 matches), AS Saint-Etienne pulled itself together and put together good results, including a crucial victory on the 36th day against Marseille 4-1. The club finished champion again by winning the championship with 58 points, 9 more than its runner-up, Marseille. The club finished best attack and best defense in the championship with a new strong man in this squad, the Frenchman Yves Triantafilos, who came from Olympiakos and who had a season with 15 goals in 38 games.

The young nugget Rocheteau continues to play a few matches, but it is still Hervé Revelli who carries the team with 26 goals in 52 matches. His brother playing several roles, Patrick only scored 5 in 42 games.

ASSE wins the Coupe de France again, 2-0 against RC Lens, Piazza and Larqué as scorers. And that season, the club reached the semi-finals of the Champions League after an incredible run: 3-1 aggregate victory against Sporting Lisbon in the 16th round, 6-5 aggregate victory against Hajduk Split (after a 4-1 defeat in the first leg, ASSE reversed the situation by winning the return match 5-1 after extra time at the legendary Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium). The quarter-finals were won 4-3 on aggregate against Ruch Chorzow.

But in the semi-final, the great Bayern Munich put an end to the hopes of this French team which is supported by all of France with a cumulative score of 2-0. A popular movement was born around this team with its offensive play and numerous exploits, the green madness was born.

During the 1975-76 season, Yves Triantafilos fell in the hierarchy in favor of the young nugget that is Dominique Rocheateau, at 21 years old, the 1m78 right winger had a stratospheric season, 15 goals in 31 matches and finished best club scorer ahead of Hervé Revelli and his 14 goals in 39 matches.

The philosophy of this team is clear, inspired by Dutch total football, the coach demands enormous collective work from his players, each player can score and must make himself available to his teammates. We attack together and we defend together.

And even if the club was eliminated in the first round of the Coupe de France, it continued to inspire dreams, first of all with the championship which it won again, 3 small points ahead of OGC Nice, then during a crazy Champions League where the club reached the final.

In the 16th round, the club defeated KB Copenhagen 5-1 on aggregate. France is vibrating and dreams of a first European success. All the French people are behind ASSE who confirm their hopes during the round of 16, a 4-1 victory against Glasgow Rangers. Led by a flamboyant Rocheteau, the club beat Dynamo kyiv in the quarter-finals with a score of 3-2 on aggregate with a comeback in the return match (3-0). In the semi-final, PSV Eindhoven was beaten 1-0 by Saint-Etienne on aggregate. France believes in it, the people of Saint-Etienne believe in it.

But reality will hurt, very hurt. Against Bayern Munich, the Stéphanois had a lot of opportunities, nothing happened, and Bayern, through Roth, scored the only goal of the match, final score 1-0. A great disillusionment for a team that has been making the continent dream for ten years already.

But on their return, the players are acclaimed by the crowd, they are heroes, who are supported by public opinion and by France as a whole.

The rest will be made up of good runs in Europe and other national trophies notably via a certain Michel Platini, then a money embezzlement scandal, a descent to Ligue 2 and a return to Ligue 1 without ever rediscover the shine of the 70s.