Failed debuts for TFC: relegated after 17 years in Ligue 1, Toulouse lost at home 1-0 against the promoted Dunkirk, Saturday at the opening of the first day of Ligue 2. After 21 defeats in 28 matches of the season last, the Toulouse supporters thought they would regret victory. But the 5,000 spectators authorized at the Stadium, coronavirus obliges, were again disillusioned. A header from Nicolas Bruneel (1-0, 55th), which came into play after returning from the locker room, allowed the Dunkirk people to create a sensation against the biggest budget in L2.
New owner, the American fund RedBird, new president, Damien Comolli, new trainer, Patrice Garande: the offseason had already been agitated for Toulouse, relegated with Amiens at the end of an L1 season truncated by the pandemic. The Covid-19 had also disrupted the TFC summer with ten positive cases, including the new coach.
Youngest workforce in L2 (22 years on average), Toulouse presented itself against Dunkirk with 8 players trained at the club in its starting 11, and only one recruit, Maxime Dupé. It was also the Toulouse goalkeeper who was most in demand in the first period, winning two duels against Malik Tchokounté (8th, 18th) and interposing a strike from Guillaume Bosca before the break (42nd).
Always enterprising after half-time, the players of Fabien Mercadal ended up finding the fault with the local child, Nicolas Bruneel, 23, victim of a cruciate ligament rupture in one knee last year and scorer of head on a cross from rookie Harouna Sy. Toulouse then pushed to snatch the equalizer and could have obtained a penalty after a charge from Redoune Kerrouche on Ibrahim Sangaré, ultimately not sanctioned (58th). The entry of Adil Taoui, 19, did good to Toulouse, but the Dunkirk defense held.
The TFC which aims, according to its leaders, "the immediate rise in L1", will quickly have to find the path to victory that it has not crossed since ... October 30, 2019, all competitions.
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