On July 16, 2010, Bocanegra was purchased by fellow Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne for a reported fee of £400,000 [REF].
In the 2011-12 season, Bocanegra took the captaincy temporarily following Loïc Perrin absent, on the opening game of the season, as Saint-Étienne win 2-1 against Bordeaux [REF].