In the latest episode of fan violence in French soccer, supporters of Saint-Etienne stormed the field Sunday and attacked players with flares immediately after a loss that relegated the once-mighty club out of Ligue 1.
Saint-Etienne was hosting Auxerre at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in the second leg of a relegation/promotion playoff that went to penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw on aggregate. After Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Léon made a save on Ryad Boudebouz, Birama Touré converted a penalty to win the shootout, 5-4, for Auxerre and move that club into Ligue 1.
Touré and his teammates had barely begun to celebrate when a large number of Saint-Etienne fans ran onto the pitch.