Ruffier made his 303rd league appearance for Saint-Étienne this weekend and was as reliable as ever
By Adam White and Eric Devin for Get French
Football News
It wasn’t pretty, but Saint-Étienne battled their way to a goalless draw against Montpellier on Sunday night, extending their unbeaten start under Claude Puel to seven games. Their latest clean sheet owed a lot to their veteran goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier, who was honoured before the match for making his 303rd league appearance for the club. Ruffier is now Sainté’s joint-record appearance maker in the top flight, having drawn level with Ivan Curkovic, the goalkeeper who played for the club in the 1976 European Cup final.
Ruffier is a physically imposing keeper who has been blessed with fine reflexes. His quick reactions were on show against Montpellier at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Having broken his hand earlier in the season, he has returned to action and played a massive role in stabilising the team’s defence. He made two decisive saves against Gaëtan Laborde on Sunday night, offering a firm reminder of his importance to a back line that has weathered injuries and some tactical changes this season.