Saint-Etienne captain Perrin retires, six days after Mbappe clash

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Loic Perrin, who played his entire career with his home-town club Saint-Etienne, announced on Thursday that he was retiring.

The 34-year-old’s final apparance was in the French Cup final last Friday when he was sent off for a foul on Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain as Saint-Etienne lost 1-0.

“Even if I was hoping for another end, I am happy and proud of my career during these 17 seasons as a professional footballer, with ups and downs but always giving the maximum of myself,” Perrin posted on Instagram on Thursday.

The defender joined Saint-Etienne at the age of 12 and went on to play 470 matches for the club and captain the team for more than a decade. 

He was called into the France squad on a couple of occasions but never won a cap.

“It is with great emotion that I announce that I played my last match with my club ever last Friday in the final of the French Cup,” he said.

“A page is turning but my story with the ASSE is not yet finished,” he wrote.  

The club said earlier this week that Perrin would “take on responsibilities” in the future. 

The club paid tribute on its website to this “exemplary captain”, who “will leave the mark of a person of integrity and a talented footballer.”