Football Season Guide

Brest were never drawn into the relegation battle last season, making it a successful return to the top flight for Olivier Dall’oglio’s men and one that they will aim to replicate this time around. After strengthening significantly before last term, though, they have thus far only tweaked their starting XI. While the majority of the players they have allowed to go were squad players, they have seen a couple of starters depart, most notably winger Yoann Court, who was the leading assist maker in Ligue 1 before he suffered an injury in the autumn. Erratic right winger Samuel Grandsir has also departed, though his spell on loan from Monaco was largely disappointing. Franck Honorat should offer more consistency in that role, while on the left Heriberto Tavares has arrived from Benfica’s B squad and is unknown quantity. In defence, meanwhile, former Monaco man Ronael Pierre-Gabriel is the only arrival of note but is a useful signing as he can play capably across the defensive line. The rearguard will again be a key area for the Bretons this season but should perform similarly to last season. With 37 goals conceded, they were far from one of the best in the league but equally were significantly better than those sides that finished in the bottom four. Their strength compared to their relegation rivals was in attack, and while the loss of Court certainly represents a big blow in that respect, they retain some key facets to their attacking play, most notably Gaetan Charbonnier, who initially struggled back in Ligue 1 but had been finding his feet after Christmas before the season was cancelled. Irvin Cardona, meanwhile, is a force not to be underestimated after he netted six goals last term.