Astonishing end of career.
International goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier, 34, dismissed at the start of the year by Saint-Etienne, has signed up with Bayonne as an educator, returning to his first club which plays in National 3, the Basque club announced on Wednesday.
“His exclusive mission will be to create and then supervise an academy of goalkeepers.
A great opportunity for our club! ”Tweeted Aviron Bayonnais FC where the international goalkeeper (3 caps) played until he was 16 before finishing his training in Monaco.
“Stéphane Ruffier called me the day before yesterday (Monday January 11).
He is a real Bayonne, who comes out of the Rowing football school, explained Bayonne vice-president Jean-Pierre Mainard to Sud-Ouest.
He had planned to end his career at the end of his contract in June, but with what happened at Saint-Etienne, he is doing it sooner.
(...) He could have continued, freelance in another club.
But he had already decided to quit at the end of the season. ”
Aviron Bayonnais FC is pleased to announce that Stéphane Ruffier has joined our club as of today as an educator.
Its exclusive mission will be to create and then supervise an academy of goalkeepers.
A great opportunity for our club!
⚪ pic.twitter.com/Th9rGGHaMo
- Aviron Bayonnais FC (@abfc_officiel) January 13, 2021
After the ASM where he remained six seasons - including one year on loan at ... Bayonne in 2005-2006 - Ruffier wore the colors of Saint-Etienne for nine years (383 matches played) before his sporting situation deteriorated. degrades in the Forez after the arrival of manager Claude Puel.
Put aside for several months from the professional group, he had been laid off twice: the first time last July for "act of insubordination", a delay in training that he had contested, then in November for leaving an individual training session prematurely.
His contract with the Greens was officially terminated on January 4.
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