Former international goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier challenged his dismissal for “serious misconduct” on Monday before the Saint-Étienne industrial tribunal and demanded more than 7 million euros in compensation from ASSE.
The former Greens doorman, represented by his lawyer, Me Dorothée Bisaccia-Bernstein, pleaded “moral harassment”, denouncing his employer’s desire to “isolate” him until the termination of his employment contract.
The Basque goalkeeper was fired at the end of December 2020, six months before his term, following calls to order and disciplinary sanctions for insubordination (lateness for training, leaving the club without authorization, failure to wear mask during covid).
The club hopes to cut short its “exorbitant financial claims”. “If serious misconduct was not recognized as a basis for dismissal, Ruffier should only be able to claim payment of the last six months of his basic salary, i.e. 540,000 euros,” according to the club’s lawyer, Me Olivier Martin. The industrial tribunal’s decision is expected on January 15.
Ruffier wore the colors of Saint-Étienne for nine years before his sporting situation deteriorated in Forez following the arrival of manager Claude Puel. Sidelined for several months from the professional group, he was dismissed twice: the first time in July 2020 for “act of insubordination”, a lateness to training which he had contested, then four months later for leaving an individual training session prematurely. His contract with the Greens was officially terminated on January 4. Stéphane Ruffier is, to date, the goalkeeper who has played the most with the Greens in Ligue 1 (383 matches), ahead of the legendary Ivan Curkovic.
