- Superstar Dupont raring to go for France return
- First flight with Israelis evacuated from Amsterdam lands in Tel Aviv
- Resilient but threatened, Kenya celebrates Maa culture
- Van Nistelrooy accepts Man Utd lack a clinical striker
- Maresca says Chelsea can beat 'any team'
- Kolisi on the bench as Springboks ring changes for Scotland clash
- Israeli football supporters back home after Amsterdam violence
- Stock markets waver after US election rally, rate cut
- Guardiola will 'solve' Man City's malaise
- Russia seeks six years for medic for criticising Ukraine campaign
- Leveraging Trump win, embattled Macron eyes diplomatic comeback
- England cricket great Botham hails Hughes for Aussie croc rescue
- Mbappe 'down but not out' says Real Madrid coach Ancelotti
- Arsenal ready to rebound after troubled spell: Arteta
- Cartier owner's profit sinks as China sales slump
- UN aims to set standards for scandal-hit carbon markets
- Australia rugby captain Wilson aiming to hit England for six
- Amsterdam mayor 'ashamed' by 'unbearable' attacks on Israel football fans
- UN probe says women, children comprise the majority of Gaza war dead
- England's Lawrence eager to face rising Wallabies star Suaalii
- Judge Spurs at end of the season, says Postecoglou
- Paris Olympic horses to be awarded military medals
- Flood-hit Spain drenched by wettest October on record
- Spain call up uncapped trio for Nations League
- INEOS Britannia named as challenger for 38th America's Cup
- Scarlets wing Murray set for Wales debut against Fiji
- Stocks falter tracking US, China policy updates
- Prince William reflects on 'brutal' year as Kate returns to public life
- After Trump win, EU leaders tackle 'urgent' reform agenda
- France expects massive slump in 2024 wine harvest
- Leaders condemn 'anti-Semitic' football clashes in Amsterdam
- China passes energy law to 'promote carbon neutrality'
- Slot not surprised by flying start at Liverpool
- Kagiyama leads Miura at NHK Trophy
- China unveils sweeping local govt debt swap to lift ailing economy
- Partial UN probe of Gaza war dead over 6 months shows 'nearly 70%' women, children
- 'Anti-government' samosa theft prompts India police probe
- Qantas plane returns to Australia airport due to 'engine failure'
- Ayub hits 82 as Pakistan crush Australia in 2nd ODI
- Russian drones, missiles pummel cities across Ukraine
- First artwork by humanoid robot sells for over $1.0 million
- China to raise local govt debt ceiling to boost struggling economy
- Climate change poses multiple risks for banks
- Boxing club helps fight Greenland's suicide scourge
- Retired Olympian Daley dives into the spool with Tokyo knitwear show
- Japanese organ builder 'honoured' to restore voice of Notre Dame
- Sony quarterly net profit jumps but forecast unchanged
- Asian markets struggle to maintain momentum after Fed cut
- Fur flies as Russia takes on young fans of 'quadrobics'
- Pharrell Williams to bring star power to Web Summit tech event
Historic French duo in fight for Ligue 1 survival
Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux have won a combined 16 French league titles, but two of French football's most successful clubs find themselves rooted in a deep malaise and facing the grim prospect of relegation this season.
Beset by financial difficulties aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic and accusations of mismanagement, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux occupy the bottom two spots in Ligue 1 with just five wins between them.
French champions a record 10 times, Saint-Etienne's dominance of the 1960s and 1970s is a distant memory. Les Verts also reached the 1976 European Cup final but a financial scandal sent the club into free-fall in the 1980s.
That decline coincided with Bordeaux's return to prominence during a decade in which they lifted three league trophies. The golden period was to end though with administrative relegation in 1991 over huge debts.
Bordeaux earned immediate promotion back to the top tier the following season, and have since claimed two more Ligue 1 titles -- in 1999 and 2009.
But the club has been drifting on the field for some time and was placed into administration last year after its US-based owners King Street pulled the plug on their investment.
Les Girondins flirted with relegation before winning their last two games to stay up, but their safety was not assured until former Lille owner Gerard Lopez completed a takeover of the club in July.
Renewed optimism has quickly faded and coach Vladimir Petkovic is fighting for his job going into this weekend's game with Strasbourg.
Petkovic, who led Switzerland to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, last week received public backing from Lopez but then watched his team capitulate 6-0 at Rennes -- their heaviest Ligue 1 loss since 1986.
Thierry Henry is reportedly being considered as a potential replacement for a critical few months that could have long-lasting effects for a club in turmoil.
"I wouldn't have imagined it these past seasons, but today you have to face up to the reality. We're in a dangerous situation," former Bordeaux and France star Alain Giresse told L'Equipe.
"It wouldn't just be a descent into Ligue 2 but perhaps the end of the club. We're on hot coals."
Six straight league defeats have left Saint-Etienne six points from safety, but Pascal Dupraz hopes Friday's derby with Lyon can mark the start of a recovery mission for a club up for sale since April.
"I think we have a one in two chance of staying up," said Dupraz, who was appointed last month after the sacking of Claude Puel.
"Despite these first two defeats, at home furthermore, it's not all over."
Paris Saint-Germain, 11 points clear at the top, host Reims on Sunday, while second-placed Nice go to Metz. Marseille play away to Lens on Saturday.
Player to watch: Wissam Ben Yedder
The Monaco captain is the league's joint-leading scorer alongside Jonathan David of Lille despite seven of his 20 appearances coming off the bench.
Returning from a Covid-19 lay-off, the France international struck twice in the second half of a 4-0 win over Clermont last weekend –- the second time he has scored a brace as a substitute this term.
Niko Kovac often left Ben Yedder out over concerns about his defensive contribution, but new coach Philippe Clement believes he will "thrive a lot in the football we want to play".
Key stats
26 – Lorient are winless in their last 26 away games in the top flight, losing 15 of those matches.
7 – Hatem Ben Arfa could appear for his seventh different club in Ligue 1 after signing for Lille. He has previously played for Lyon, Marseille, Nice, PSG, Rennes and Bordeaux.
Fixtures (all times 1400 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Lyon v Saint-Etienne (2000)
Saturday
Brest v Lille (1600), Lens v Marseille (2000)
Sunday
Metz v Nice (1200), Angers v Troyes, Bordeaux v Strasbourg, Clermont v Rennes, Nantes v Lorient, Montpellier v Monaco (1605), Paris Saint-Germain v Reims (1945)
F.Müller--BTB