Could Maxime Bernauer be AS Saint-Étienne’s X-factor this season? | OneFootball

Maxime Bernauer has unsettled defences with a hybrid role from left-back, his versatility standing out for AS Saint-Étienne early this season.

Since arriving from Dinamo Zagreb in winter 2025, he has taken on multiple roles over the past year and a half. According to Le Progres, initially recruited as a centre-back who fit Eirik Horneland’s ideas, he has since featured at right-back, holding midfield and left-back.

This season he has already operated in midfield and at left-back, with Ian Cathro viewing him above all as a midfielder.

Cathro raised the repositioning early in pre-season, aware Bernauer had played there before and would need new reference points. The plan also suited the player.

The current system sets specific tasks, and his adaptability helps meet them.

Source: Le Progres

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