The Dijon supporters look grim after the DFCO stoppage against Guingamp (3-2 defeat) on the 17th day of Ligue 2. There are now two league games to win to hope to appear as high as possible at the Christmas truce. The first of the two against Niort, Saturday December 11, 2021 at the Stade Gaston Gérard. The opportunity to reunite for the DFCO attacking midfielder, Valentin Jacob, arrived in Burgundy in June after three years at Chamois Niortais. The 27-year-old, who has appeared in 15 league games this season, was a guest of 100% DFCO on Monday 6 December.
FBB: Valentin, is the defeat against Guingamp digested?
Valentin Jacob: It is not fully digested yet. She must pass to be able to prepare well for this match against Niort
Several players (Scheidler, Traoré) spoke of “professional misconduct”. Do you validate the finding?
Yes, we can say that it is professional misconduct. In 20 minutes you don’t have the right to be run over like that.
Cold, how do you explain this scenario?
Frankly I do not know. Especially since we have a 3-0 ball just before their first goal. We make a bad choice, and behind we move back a little too much and we get punished.
What was the atmosphere like when we returned to training?
An atmosphere not tense … but an atmosphere with players still disgusted with the match.
On a personal level, you have started five times in the last six games. Do you feel a rise in power on your part?
It’s true that I’ve been feeling better for a few weeks now, so you can obviously see it in the matches. The coach trusts me too. I also took advantage of the injuries to have more playing time, and so far it’s working well.
The first six games with Patrice Garande, you didn’t start. What changed ?
Frankly I do not know. Maybe I’m doing more … I’m not sure. Maybe he trusts me a little more too, because I show him in practice that he can trust me. I do not know. These are coach’s choices, so it’s not always easy to say what has changed.
You form an effective pair on the right side with the side Cheick Traoré … how is the relationship between you?
Very good. I knew him a long time ago when I was playing Sedan (they made a Gambardella Cup final, lost against Bordeaux, in 2013). We do the whole season together, it was really good. And there, to find him, to replay on his side, it is going very well also for the moment.
Saturday, the DFCO receives Niort, where you spent the last three seasons before your signing in Dijon this summer. What does this club represent for you?
It’s a bit like the club that gave me my chance in the professional world. In Auxerre (2013-16), I was professional, but it didn’t go very well. I did three years of reserve. Behind, complicated to find a professional club, so I return to the amateurs in Annecy (N2 at the time) – which was anything but an amateur club, after all. And then Niort behind, who holds out his hand to go back to the professionals.
What are the strengths of this Niort team, which you know well?
They are capable of anything and they can get through a match, like hovering over a match. They have great qualities, they also have faults, otherwise they would no longer be in Ligue 2. But it’s still a good team and a sure bet in Ligue 2.
We often hear: “this is a special match for such and such a player, because he meets his former club”. For you, is this weekend a different game from the others?
No, it’s a match like any other. If I had done ten years in Niort, it would have been a special match, but given that it isn’t … it’s still a game like any other. Afterwards, I’ll play against friends, but on the pitch, as they say, there are no friends, it’s before and after.
When you signed in Dijon, you declared: “I was at the end of a cycle in Niort”. That is to say?
They have offered me contract extensions several times. I refused because I needed a change of scenery. I did three years in Niort. The three years, we did the same seasons. Very good start to the season and more complicated in the second half of the season, so I wanted to really change the air completely. Even while staying in Ligue 2, I needed to change clubs.
Even while staying in Ligue 2, I needed to change clubs
Last season, Niort ran away in play-offs against Villefranche, so as not to go down in the National. By signing for Dijon, you shouldn’t expect to play the maintenance?
I didn’t expect to play hold, that’s for sure. Afterwards, we all know that Ligue 2 is very complicated. There is not necessarily a favorite, except maybe Toulouse this season for the climb, it’s always complicated. Everyone said that Pau was going to go down last year, they are having an extraordinary second part of the season. There they start and they have 24 points, whereas no one expected Pau to be there. We cannot say who will go down, who will go up. Ligue 2 is really complicated.
With two games remaining, what is the classification goal for the Christmas break … and for the end of the season?
We would like to go to the first part of the painting already, to start, and then see later how it is pinned. Afterwards, we would have to succeed in linking up, making a series of victories to see more clearly.
Within the group, are you still talking about a possible comeback in Ligue 1?
No, we never necessarily talked too much about climbing. Even when we had a series of victories, we took game after game, we looked in front of us, but also a little behind us anyway. We try to go to the first part of the table and then look at other objectives.
We never necessarily talked too much about climbing
One last little question. Our curiosity was piqued! Before, Yassine Benzia took all the corners. Since a few matches you have been shooting them too. Why this change?
It’s in the game … Yass’ simply telling me to go shoot him or not, depending on whether he feels or not. If he doesn’t feel me I’m going, and if he feels I’m going to shoot him.