Stade Brestois 29 – Get French Football News

AC Milan considering move for Brest’s Lilian Brassier

Luke Entwistle — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:07:45 +0000

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, AC Milan are considering a move for highly-coveted Stade Brestois centre-back Lilian Brassier (24).

Brassier is one of the most coveted assets in Ligue 1 this January. As reported by Foot Mercato, AS Monaco and Porto are both interested in the Frenchman, who has been a pillar of Brest’s start-of-season success. Brassier is under contract with Brest until the summer of 2025, however, it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will see that contract out.

Monaco determined in Brassier pursuit

AC Milan are in the market for defensive reinforcements this January, and it seems their shortlist is not dissimilar to that created by Monaco. Like the Principality club, AC Milan are also interested in Brassier, as well as West Ham United’s Thilo Kehrer.

However, according to Foot Mercato, Monaco remain in pole position to sign Brassier, with Ouest-France adding that the Principality club are determined to complete the signing. Brest are asking for around €10m for Brassier.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Porto join Monaco in race to sign Brest’s Lilian Brassier

Luke Entwistle — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 11:42:01 +0000

Stade Brestois’ Lilian Brassier (24) looks set to be one of the most coveted Ligue 1 centre-backs in the January transfer window. AS Monaco are exploring a deal to sign the Frenchman, and according to L’Équipe, Porto have now enquired too.

Brassier is under contract with Brest until the summer of 2025, however, it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will see that contract out.

Monaco, who despite their third-place standing in Ligue 1, have been poor defensively, are looking to reinforce their back-line this winter. A move for Brassier is being explored by the Principality club, however, they are simultaneously exploring alternatives.

Porto have now enquired about Brassier and are considering making an offer to Brest. The Ligue 1 side are reticent to part ways with Brassier, who has been a big part of their success in the opening half of the season, however, it will be difficult for them to resist offers upwards of €10m. Given that a bidding war may ensue, it looks increasingly likely that that figure will be reached.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

PROFILE | Pierre Lees-Melou the linchpin of Brest’s success

Luke Entwistle — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 23:30:00 +0000

Having been discarded by Bordeaux in his youth academy days due to his small stature, Pierre Lees-Melou has had to take a long and sinuous road to the top. He bounced between local teams around his native Bordeaux until the age of 21, turning out for the likes of Mérignac and Lège-Cap-Ferret while holding down a job in a primary school. After a 19-goal campaign in the fifth tier with the latter team, and two successful trials, he joined Ligue 2 outfit Dijon at the age of 21.

The Burgundy side would earn promotion that year, and Lees-Melou would make the most of the top-flight stage the following campaign – scoring seven goals and earning a move to Nice. He would become a regular fixture for Les Aiglons over the following four seasons – even captaining the side on several occasions and turning out in the Europa League. Following a season-long stint in the Premier League with Norwich – during which he could not prevent the Canaries from finishing rock bottom – he returned to France in 2022, signing for Brest.

Now, the midfielder is arguably the linchpin of the overperforming Bretons, with Eric Roy’s men finding themselves in the running for a Champions League spot at the turn of the year. Lees-Melou’s versatility is arguably his key asset – he is just as adept playing on the edge of the box as he is in front of the defence.

Lees-Melou – L’Équipe’s highest-rated player in first-half of 2023/24 season

With Les Ty-Zefs, he is likely to be found in the latter position. “It’s a different role, one in which you are more at the start of the action than at the end of it, but I like it”, he told the official Ligue 1 website. His more conservative positioning has hardly stunted his output in front of goal, though – he finished last season on five goals and five assists in league action.

His sole strike so far this season, against Reims, encapsulated his box-to-box approach to the position – winning the ball deep in midfield, driving up the pitch with long strides, before unleashing a shot into the bottom corner. Despite his attacking instincts, the midfielder is able to sit back and bide his time, orchestrating build-up play and going into challenges with an aggression he credits to his time in England.

The 30-year-old was also the player with the highest average match rating from L’Équipe over the first half of the campaign. Whether Brest are able to stretch their impressive start to the season into a serious challenge for Europe remains to be seen – but it won’t be long until Lees-Melou’s talents are on display on the continental stage again.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin

PROFILE | Jérémy Le Douaron embodies Brest’s success

Luke Entwistle — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:20:00 +0000

Jeremy Le Douaron’s low-key success in Ligue 1 isn’t just a win for the player and his club, Brest, but for the French football pyramid as a whole.

Already 22, Le Douaron joined the small Breton club in 2020 from local fourth-tier Stade Briochin, a product of Brest’s minimal resources and astute regional scouting. A versatile attacker, the Frenchman’s intensity and direct style immediately made him a useful, if understated, option with his ability to adapt swiftly to a far higher level being the most impressive aspect of his blossoming in Ligue 1.

Playing across the front line during his time at Brest, Le Douaron’s unspectacular, waspish effectiveness is unaffected by his team’s usual plight or the job he’s asked to do. Ten Ligue 1 goals last term, usually from the left wing, saw the now 25-year-old surpass the much more celebrated Seko Fofana and Florian Sotoca of Lens, Rennes’ pair Arnaud Kalimunedo and Jeremy Doku and his much more eye-catching teammate Franck Honorat in both raw numbers and goals per game.

Le Douaron – an attractive proposition for many Ligue 1 sides

2023 has seen Le Douaron truly ensconce himself in France’s top tier. Seven of those strikes came after last season’s World Cup break and, despite a slow start, he’s added three more this term by the time of writing. Brest, meanwhile, have kicked on too. Having found themselves top of Ligue 1 in late September, Eric Roy’s side remain in the European hunt and, with fewer games and none of their rivals’ European commitments, will be quietly confident of maintaining their form.

Le Douaron sums up Roy’s team. Understated, energetic and hardworking but subtly skilful when needed, Brest and Le Douaron are both managing to expertly maximize their abilities to unsettle some of French football’s more established names. Although worthy of their current station, both, however, have a ceiling. Le Douaron isn’t the type of talent that will generate overseas transfer buzz or push for a France cap but he’s proven himself as a reliable option in Ligue 1 who could find a home at a more traditional top-half team.

When Brest eventually revert to type, as seems likely in the next year or so – the new 18-team format is unlikely to be kind, and the workmanlike but overtly useful Le Douaron will remain an attractive proposition for Ligue 1 sides. Whatever his future, the forward is a leading example of the quality that can so readily be found in France’s lower tiers. His success should be a reminder to all in the upper echelons that France continues to produce talent across the pyramid. And it’s worth seeking out.

GFFN | Adam White

Monaco in discussions to sign Brest’s Lilian Brassier

Luke Entwistle — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 10:57:55 +0000

According to Foot Mercato, AS Monaco have stepped up attempts to sign Stade Brestois centre-back Lilian Brassier (24) in recent hours.

Monaco are seemingly in the market for defensive reinforcements this January and they could land their first recruit before the start of the window. Brest have the fourth-best defence in Ligue 1 this season and Brassier, who has started 15 out of 17 of Les Pirates’ games, has been a key part of that record. However, those performances have attracted the interest of Monaco, who despite their third-place standing in Ligue 1, have lacked defensive solidity this season.

Discussions over Brassier’s move to Monaco have intensified in recent hours and an offer between €8-10m has been made by the Principality club, according to Foot Mercato. An offer has also been made to the French centre-back and there is a good chance that a deal could be completed in the coming days. However, Sassuolo, Club Brugge or Atalanta could swoop in and make a late move for Brassier.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

‘Truly rotten, like you’ – Lorient ultras pour 400 kilograms of rotten fish at team’s training ground after 4-0 humbling to rivals Brest

Bastien Cheval — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 21:29:16 +0000

FC Lorient’s season of woes has reached a new low on Wednesday night. After a convincing first season at the head of Les Merlus, Regis Le Bris is badly struggling with Lorient currently sitting in the relegation zone for Ligue 1’s winter break. The Brittany side have lost nine games out of a possible 17.

The latest was an abysmal performance at on-fire Brittany rivals Stade Brestois. Eric Roy’s well-drilled team were already leading 4-0 at half-time courtesy of an extraordinary 4-goal haul in 26 minutes by Malian international Kamory Doumbia (20). Former Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy was replaced after the hour mark for Lorient.

‘Get as far away from our club as possible!’

After leaving Brest’s Stade Francis Le Blé, the Lorient team coach was “welcomed” to their training ground at Kerlir by the stench of 400 kilograms (881 pounds) of rotten fish poured by the Merlus Ultras 1995, the club’s most ardent fan group.

Merlus Ultras has released this statement. “Following the latest disgraceful (we’re being nice) defeat of our team, action will be taken at Kerlir after the game. 400 kilograms of fish will be poured at the gate with a message that reads ‘Truly rotten, like you‘. May the people who are not bothered, and who do not respect the FC Lorient institution, ‘Get as far away from our club as possible!’

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Brest’s Kamory Doumbia equals former PSG player Edinson Cavani’s record

Alfred Lalande — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 21:34:13 +0000

Tonight, Stade Brestois’ Kamory Doumbia (20) became the second-only player in the past 60 years to score four goals in the first half of a Ligue 1 game. He equalled Edinson Cavani’s (36) performance, who had put four past SM Caen’s defence in 2016, during his time at PSG.

Doumbia proved to be a nightmare for FC Lorient’s defence, always lurking to conclude his team’s offensive plays. His first goal at the 22nd minute was particularly sublime, firing home a rocket of a right-footed volley from the edge of the box, straight into the top corner of Yvon Mvogo’s (29) nets. Then came three others, at the 25th, 29th and 48th minute, concluding a historic first-half quadruple for the young Malian, on loan from Stade de Reims.

Doumbia scores four goals in 26 minutes

In only 26 minutes, Doumbia almost equalled his total goal tally in Ligue 1, having scored five goals in 45 games before tonight. His alone performance could potentially have sealed his ticket to participate in this year’s AFCON with Mali, having received his first call-up with his nation back in September of 2022.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande

Strasbourg’s winless run continues after Brest draw

Luke Entwistle — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:16:52 +0000

The longest winless run in Ligue 1 continued as RC Strasbourg Alsace drew against Stade Brestois (1-1) in a rearranged fixture at the Stade Francis-Le Blé on Thursday night.

The fixture had initially been scheduled to take place in November, however, after heavy storms hit Brest’s stadium, the game had to be postponed whilst repairs took place. Eric Roy’s side have won their last three, however, it was Strasbourg, who haven’t won since beating local rivals FC Metz in late September, who worked the first big chance of the game. However, put through on goal, Lebo Mothiba couldn’t beat Marco Bizot in the Brest goal.

Just before half-time, Bres struck through Jérémy Le Douaron, who beat Strasbourg’s Matz Sels at his near-post. Mathias Pereira Lage then had a glorious chance to secure the three points, but unmarked and unpressured eight yards out, he headed wide.

Brest would be punished for that miss. Substitute Emanuel Emegha tapped in a ball across goal to level the scores and secure Patrick Vieira’s side a point. Strasbourg are, however, without a win in their last nine games and are just two points above the bottom three. Brest, meanwhile, remain seventh in Ligue 1.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Brest predicted XI v Strasbourg: Pierre Lees-Melou suspended

Luke Entwistle — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:22:40 +0000

Key midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou is suspended as Stade Brestois face RC Strasbourg Alsace in a rearranged fixture at the Stade Francis-Le Blé.

Lees-Melou has received too many yellow cards this season (three in less than 10 matches) and will therefore miss the fixture. The former Norwich City and OGC Nice midfielder will be a big miss for Brest, who have surpassed expectations this season to put themselves in the mix for the European place.

Eric Roy is therefore not expected to tinker with the starting XI too much in this rearranged fixture. The match against RCSA was initially scheduled to take place in mid-November, but with the Stade Francis-Le Blé damaged in severe storms, the decision was made to postpone.

Brest likely lineup v Strasbourg

Marco Bizot; Bradley Locko, Lilian Brassier, Julien Le Cardinal, Kenny Lala; Hugo Magnetti, Jonas Martin, Kamory Doumbia; Jérémy Le Douaron, Martín Satriano, Romain Del Castillo. (L’Éq)

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Strasbourg predicted XI v Brest: Emanuel Emegha to join Ângelo Gabriel on the bench

Luke Entwistle — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:09:33 +0000

Emanuel Emegha looks set to join Chelsea loanee Ângelo Gabriel on the bench when RC Strasbourg Alsace face Stade Brestois on Thursday.

The match was initially scheduled to take place in November, however, it was postponed after Brest’s stadium, the Stade Francis-Le Blé, was damaged during heavy storms. Strasbourg have played twice since, but are still yet to secure a victory. Patrick Vieira’s men are on a seven-game winless run, the longest ongoing run in Ligue 1. As a result, changes are expected against Brest on Thursday evening.

Emegha, guilty of missing a couple of big chances during last weekend’s 2-1 defeat against Stade de Reims, will likely drop to the bench and be replaced by Lebo Mothiba. There he will join Gabriel, who has struggled to replicate his early-season form in recent weeks. Gerzino Nyamsi, who came off with a shoulder injury against Reims, will miss out entirely.

Strasbourg likely lineup v Brest

Matz Sels; Thomas Delaine, Abakar Sylla, Lucas Perrin, Marvin Senaya; Ibrahima Sissoko, Ismaël Doukouré; Habib Diarra, Kevin Gameiro, Dilane Bakwa; Lebo Mothiba. (L’Éq)

GFFN | Luke Entwistle