ASSE's play-off curse, misery for years then joy two years ago | OneFootball

Le Progres highlights that ASSE’s relationship with the play-offs has long been bleak. Until overcoming Metz two years ago, the club had never found a way through, their nine matches yielding five draws and four defeats.

The hope now is that the Verts have finally turned the tide before a two-legged tie with Nice next week. This is a look back over 90 years of mixed fortunes.

In 1934 came a bruising start in the professional ranks. Unbeaten at home in the south group of the second division, with Geoffroy-Guichard beginning to make its name, they still finished two points behind Alès and had to enter play-offs to reach D1.

It led to a curious three-team mini-league with Mulhouse and Strasbourg, where the top two would go up. Two away defeats and two home draws ended the hopes of president Pierre Guichard’s side.

The FFF later investigated the surprising 0-0 between the two Alsatian opponents. ASSE stayed in D2 and waited until 1938 to reach the top flight.

Fifty years on, in 1984, they were back in the play-offs, this time to avoid relegation to D2.

Source: Le Progres