FORMER Saints boss Claude Puel has been sacked by Saint-Etienne, with the French club bottom of the league.

Puel, who took charge of 53 games at Saints, had been at the Ligue 1 outfit since October 2019.

He guided the club to a 17th-placed finish in the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, before ending 11th last season.

Puel also led Les Verts to the 2020 Coupe de France final, losing 1-0 to PSG in the final, courtesy of a Neymar goal.

But Saint-Etienne have struggled this term, bottom of the table following a 5-0 home thumping by Rennes on Sunday.

They have won just two of their 17 league matches.

Puel, 60, played more than 500 games during his trophy-laden playing career at Monaco.

He joined Saints as boss in July 2016, replacing Ronald Koeman, and led them to the League Cup final, where they were narrowly beaten by Manchester United.

Despite that cup run and finishing eighth in the Premier League, Puel was sacked in June 2017, with Mauricio Pellegrino appointed.

Puel subsequently joined Leicester City during the following season, before moving back to France.