- Montpellier handed a 0:2 defeat after abandoned match against Saint-Étienne
- Fire in the stands caused by home fans led to match suspension and stadium closure
- Club now sits bottom of Ligue 1, eight points from safety with seven games remaining
Key Takeaways:
Montpellier’s faint hopes of avoiding relegation from Ligue 1 have all but vanished after the team was handed a forfeit defeat in their interrupted match against Saint-Étienne.
The home game was suspended after a fire broke out in the stands, triggered by flares thrown by Montpellier supporters. At the time of the interruption, the visitors were leading 2:0 in the 63rd minute. The league’s disciplinary committee ruled that the game would not be resumed and that the scoreline at the time of suspension would stand as the final result. Additionally, Montpellier’s stadium will be closed to fans for the remainder of the season.
⚽🇫🇷 #Ligue1
👀 La commission de discipline de la LFP donne match gagné à Saint-Etienne contre Montpellier (2-0) !#MHSCASSE pic.twitter.com/r2TDUIWJAK— beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) April 3, 2025
In what was meant to be a celebratory season marking the club’s 50th anniversary, Montpellier find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table. The team is now eight points adrift of Saint-Étienne, with only seven rounds left to play. The bottom two teams in Ligue 1 are relegated at the end of the campaign.
The dramatic scenes unfolded as both teams were ordered back to the dressing rooms once the fire ignited. Home fans escalated tensions by throwing seats onto the pitch. A stadium employee was injured in the incident, prompting intervention by police. Though the fire was eventually extinguished, the match was not resumed due to safety concerns.
Montpellier’s only top-flight title came in 2012. The club also won Ligue 2 in 1987 and lifted the Coupe de France in 1990, with a squad that included notable names such as Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, and Julio Cesar.