‘Of course it’s over’ – Montpellier resigned to relegation to Ligue 2 | OneFootball

Hope is in short supply at the Stade de la Mosson. Montpellier HSC are resigned to their fate – relegation to Ligue 2 – according to manager Jean-Louis Gasset.

Montpellier’s game against AS Saint-Étienne was abandoned on Sunday. Saint-Étienne, one place above rock-bottom MHSC in 17th, took the lead in the first half through Lucas Stassin but were then reduced to 10 men on the stroke of halftime after Maxime Bernauer was shown a second yellow card.

Despite that, Stassin then doubled Sainté’s lead in the second half, which led to violent scenes at the Mosson. The match was stopped and then later abandoned. It is unclear whether Saint-Étienne will be awarded the win, whilst it is also unclear whether Montpellier will be handed a points deduction by the authorities.

Regardless, Gasset, who replaced Michel Der Zakarian earlier this season, is resigned to the drop. “Is it over for survival? Of course it is over. If the 18th-placed team faces the 17th-place team, with a five-point gap, and you don’t win that match…if we defend like that, it means that we don’t have the level to play in Ligue 1,” said Gasset after the abandonment of the match.

He added, “We are at home, in our city, at our club, it is hard to live through, very hard. I haven’t done everything well and I put my heart into it. Maybe I’m a football has-been. I am hurting and ashamed. It’s over.”

GFFN | Luke Entwistle