Football Season Guide

Following their relegation from the Ligue 2 in 2022/2023, Dijon have always been fighting for the top places of the now-called Ligue 3. In 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, though, they had to content themselves with 2 4th-places as they missed out on promotion. Last season, things went differently as they really wanted promotion and obtained it and they did it in great style. In fact, they went unbeaten in the initial 11 weeks of the campaign, but they only momentarily made the top due to an excess of draws. Then, after losing their first game in week 12, they started an unstoppable 14-week cavalcade that brought them at the top again and they eventually maintained the position until the end. Dijon, thus, closed the season with 65 points and a 7-point advantage over second-placed Sochaux. Moreover, they held the league’s best attack, with 52 goals scored, and the best defence, with 25 goals conceded. Last but not least, they obtained almost as many points at home, 32, and away, 33. Coach Baptiste Ridira, in charge of the team since July 2024, was confirmed at the helm for the new season and it will be his first experience at a professional level, after forming himself at Saint-Pryvé Saint-Hilaire in National 2. During the summer, the management tried to maintain the back-bone of the team untouched, limiting the departures as much as possible. Thus, they lost back-up goalie Montfort and they are in need of a valid deputy for aging Delecroix. Moreover, at the back, they lost 2 starting full-backs in Diallo and Khatir but they signed Faty and Bouleghcha as their replacements, both coming from Le-Puy, who have no experience among the professionals. Not much else happened during the transfer campaign, both in term of departures or arrivals but it is clear that more has to be done, even only considering that not many players have real Ligue 2 experience and there are some holes in the squad.