The 2010-11 campaign for Saint-Étienne was defined by the stunning emergence of a new star, Dimitri Payet, as Les Verts secured a respectable 10th-place finish in Ligue 1. Payet's 13 goals anchored the attack, a career-best tally highlighted by a sensational start that included his first professional hat-trick and an unforgettable, superb free-kick winner against rivals Lyon, which briefly propelled the club to the top of the league for the first time since 1982. It was a turbulent yet thrilling year that confirmed Payet's breakout season and remains a defining chapter of the club's modern history.