Piquionne picks St Etienne
Friday, June 24, 2005
Article summary
UEFA Intertoto Cup contenders AS Saint-Etienne have signed striker Frédéric Piquionne from Stade Rennais FC.
Article body
Loan spell
The 26-year-old inked a four-year contract with St Etienne on Thursday having played on loan there last season. Piquionne, from the Pacific island of New Caledonia, scored 15 goals for the club on their return to Ligue 1 in 2004/05.
New goalkeeper
Les Verts have also recruited 23-year-old goalkeeper Jody Viviani from Ligue 2 side Montpellier Hérault SC, who is set to understudy Jérémie Janot. Meanwhile, 34-year-old defender Patrice Carteron has signed a two-year deal with AS Cannes to end a four-year stay at St Etienne.
Opposite journey
Another player leaving the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is frontman Lilian Compan, 28, who has accepted a four-year contract offer from relegated SM Caen. He travels in the opposite direction to Sébastien Mazure, St Etienne's recent free-transfer acquisition.
Intertoto test
Elie Baup's team start their Intertoto Cup campaign on the weekend of 2/3 July, when they play the first of two second-round legs against the winner of the tie between FC Lernagorts-Ararat and Neuchâtel Xamax FC. The Swiss side lead their Armenian opponents 3-1 from the first round first leg.
