Ligue 2: Saint-Étienne announces the death of young Kenzo Kies, two days after he drowned in the Rhône

Having been declared brain dead on Monday late afternoon after drowning in the Rhône, young player Kenzo Kies has died, his former club AS Saint-Étienne announced on Wednesday.

"The Green Generation is in mourning," wrote AS Saint-Etienne on Wednesday. The club announced the death of Kenzo Kies, two days after he drowned in the Rhône River. "A resident of the Robert-Herbin Sports Center for seven years, a talented player and a discreet young man appreciated by all, Kenzo Kies lost his life in tragic circumstances," reads the statement from the Forez club.

"AS Saint-Étienne sends its sincerest condolences to his family and friends, as well as to those, teammates and coaches, who shared a part of his Saint-Étienne adventure. Kenzo, in the corridors of L'Étrat, no one will ever forget you," added ASSE.

En Avant Guingamp also issued a statement following the loss of their former player: "En Avant Guingamp is saddened to learn of the passing of Kenzo Kies, a young player for the Club. Having joined Guingamp last summer, he played this season with the reserve team. En Avant Guingamp extends its deepest condolences to Kenzo Kies' family and all his loved ones, and offers them its full support during this difficult time."

A tragedy between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire

The 21-year-old player drowned in the Rhône River late Monday afternoon in a swimming area near Lyon. Firefighters responded around 6 p.m., when the temperature reached 38°C, to rescue four young men who were swimming in a spot where the river has waves, near the Parc de la Feyssine between Villeurbanne and Caluire-et-Cuire.

Three of them, in relatively stable condition, had been pulled from the water by the time firefighters arrived, and a fourth, Kenzo Kies, was drowning. He was rescued in critical condition before being taken to the hospital in a state of brain death. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the drowning.

Born in Lyon on January 20, 2005, Kenzo Kies began playing football at AS Bron at the age of four before joining FC Lyon for a year (2010-2011). He then joined the Olympique Lyonnais youth academy at the U7 level (2011-2017), followed by AS Saint-Priest (2017-2018) in the southeast of the city. The striker continued his development in the neighboring Loire department, joining AS Saint-Étienne at the U14 level (2018-2025) before moving further afield last summer to the youth academy of En Avant Guingamp, a Ligue 2 club, where he saw limited playing time.

On Tuesday, the AS Saint-Priest club (N2) shared on X "its deepest emotion following the drowning accident of its former young player Kenzo Kies" and offered "all its support" to his family.