Saint Etienne fans attack players after losing relegation play off

Fans threw flairs and invaded the pitch

Fans of Saint Etienne attacked their own players after they were relegated to Ligue 2 following their play off defeat to Auxerre on Sunday. Saint Etienne were beaten on penalties after Ryad Boudebouz missed the deciding spot kick following a 1-1 draw on the night and a 2-2 draw on aggregate, meaning Les Verts will play in the second tier of French football for the first time since 1999.

Saint Etienne are one of France's most successful clubs

The club is the joint-most decorated in French domestic football having won Ligue 1 10 times in their history, however Paris Saint-Germain equalled that tally with this year's league win and will more than likely eclipse it. After relegation was confirmed, fans turned on their players in aggressive fashion and chose to confront the squad, board and directors with violent methods. Supporters ran onto the pitch at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium and began throwing flares and smoke bombs into the stands towards the directors box while also appearing to attempt to attack and confront their own players. Saint Etienne players were evacuated from the pitch, with no reports as of yet to say they have been hurt. Footage below shows the moment thousands of fans invaded the pitch before beginning to attack. https://twitter.com/AdBlettery/status/1530999993657708552 https://twitter.com/dylanleeds22/status/1531000388329037829 As per RMC Sport via GFFN, riot police intervened in order to clear the fans off the pitch while the fire brigade have been able to put out the seats set on fire in the stands by sections of the fanbase.

The scenes follow after the trouble that marred the Champions League final

The violent scenes follows just a day after the Champions League final held in Paris, where the game was delayed by over 30 minutes due to security concerns. Thousands of Liverpool fans weren't allowed entry to the stadium and were treated with heavy-handed tactics by the French authorities, including the use of tear gas and pepper spray. Related links:

• Jamie Carragher slams UEFA ‘lies’ after chaos at Champions League final
• UK Government urges UEFA to launch ‘formal investigation’ into Champions League final chaos
• Andy Robertson slams UEFA for ‘shambles’ before Champions League final