The DFCO opens the ball for the 2022/2023 Ligue 2 season, with the reception of Saint-Etienne, Saturday July 30, 2022 at 3 p.m. A new coach, Omar Daf, new management, ambitious objectives announced by the president, a relatively stable workforce with the contribution of a few recruits, successful preparation… hope is reborn among Dijon supporters after a season in the soft belly. Even though he was already there, a man symbolizes this summer the new wind supposed to blow on the training center of Saint-Apollinaire: striker Mickaël Le Bihan.
A successful preparation
Regularly targeted by critics, author of eight goals over the whole of last season (seven in Ligue 2, one in the Coupe de France), the ex-Auxerrois made a successful preparation. Scorer in all friendlies (five goals scored in four games), he convinced his new coach Omar Daf – adept at one-point tactical systems: “Happy to see him regain confidence and a certain efficiency. My job was first to stabilize, to restore confidence”.
Last year, the start of the season for No. 8 was disrupted by an injury during a friendly match, which caused him to miss the start of the competition. “He was able to do the preparation from start to finish, it had been a long time since he had done a complete preparation, Daf is satisfied. He’s a player who has talent, who should bring us a lot more.”.
“I set the bar high enough to make up for last season, and prove that I am not here as a tourist”
“I often take time to perform at a club. It often takes me a year”indicated in December 2021 the attacker at the microphone of France Bleu. “I hope I did not lie and that it will be confirmed”, smiled Le Bihan seven months later, before the reception of Saint-Etienne, indicating to have fixed objectives … but without wanting to reveal them. “I set the bar high enough to make up for last season, and prove that I am not here as a tourist”.
At the dawn of this season, the former Auxerrois has already won a “title”, or rather a status: that of top scorer in activity in the L2 championship – with 63 goals scored during his career. An additional motivation, if needed?
The contribution of Stéphane Mangione
The top scorer in Ligue 2 in 2015 (18 goals in the colors of Le Havre) benefits this season from additional comfort: the presence of Stéphane Mangione. The former DFCO striker, the club’s most capped player, assistant to Omar Daf, specifically takes care of the attackers during training. “There are even sessions where he says stop and where we ask to stay in front of the goal, he says. We’re having a lot of fun.”
The Bihan evokes “exercises in match condition” and compare with the previous season : “More work in front of goal, and less shots from distance. We also worked in front of goal but it was different. Stéphane is a former player, he knows what he is doing. Last year it was more strikes from a distance. There, we work a lot in the surface, and I’m fine with it”.
- DFCO – ASSE, 1st day of Ligue 2, to live in full with the comments of France Bleu Bourgogne. Pre-match from 2.45 p.m. Saturday July 30, 2021, 3 p.m. for the kick-off!