Thijs Dallinga (23) scored as Toulouse FC drew against FC Lorient on Sunday, however, the Dutch forward had to come off the bench to do so. Post-match, he expressed his frustration at having not started the match.
Dallinga has been one of the most prolific strikers in French football in 2023. He currently has eight goals in 18 games in all competitions and has his form has seen him represent the Netherlands for the first time. The TéFéCé forward has been particularly prolific in European competition, scoring three in five in the UEFA Europa League, including two goals against Liverpool.
However, he was a surprise omission from the Toulouse starting lineup against Lorient on Sunday afternoon. It was Frank Magri (24) who started in his place. Dallinga came on in the 62nd minute and got the first goal of the game just 10 minutes later. Les Merlus ultimately salvaged a point thanks to Bamba Dieng’s injury-time finish.
Post-match, Dallinga voiced his frustration at having been left out of the starting lineup. “It’s a frustrating day, firstly because I started on the bench, but also because we didn’t secure a good result at home […] I am very frustrated to be on the bench,” began the Dutch international.
Dallinga added, “I’m still asking myself why, but when I come on, I have to be professional and score to help the team. That’s what I did and I can’t do much more. The coach (Carles Martinez Novell) hasn’t told me why I was a substitute. It was an important match but we’ll speak about it internally and not on television.”
