Football Season Guide

Brest are seeking to end a stay in Ligue 2 that has now stretched to five seasons, with Jean-Marc Furlan's side having thrown away the opportunity to bounce back into the top flight last term when they finished poorly after leading the way for a significant portion of the campaign. In each of their four previous seasons of this spell in the second tier, they have finished in the top 10, yet last term's 5th-place finish was the best they have accomplished, having gone into the final day of the season still with a chance of winning the league. They won half their matches but equally lost 11 times, with the 44 goals they conceded perhaps just a touch too high. Indeed, it was their home form that largely let them down, with their level too inconsistent at Stade Francis Le Ble. Over the summer, Furlan's side have been transformed, with several key faces leaving but an equal number arriving. The most notable players to go are Neal Maupay, their top scorer and chief goal threat, wingers Bryan Pele and Steeven Joseph-Monrose, their top scorer away from home, creative midfielder Cristian Battocchio and centre-back Luciano Castan. Their replacements, however, are all of a strong standard. Goalkeeper Julien Fabri arrives from Marseille after two strong loans with Bourg, while holding midfielder Jessy Pi also joins up. In midfield, Jessy Pi is the most notable arrival on the defensive front, while in a creative capacity, Jason Berthomier is the main man, having joined from Bourg. Mathias Autret will become the starting player on the left, having arrived from Lens. The attack has had a complete face lift, with Gaetan Charbonnier the headline signing but he has a serious knee injury presently. Edouard Butin has joined from Sochaux and 20-year-old Exauce Ngassaki is something of a wildcard arrival from Caen. In an attempt to strengthen the defence, Anthony Weber has joined up from Reims. He will offer both experience and quality, two attributes that should mean he is a successful addition to a rearguard that looks in better shape, particularly as Zakaria Diallo impressed last term.