Toulouse Football Club: A Successful Season and a Chance for Glory in the Coupe de France Final

The season of all dangers. This is what awaited the Toulouse Football Club last August. Freshly promoted, the club trained by Philippe Montanier could fear the worst, what is more in a 2022-2023 exercise with four descents, after the decision of the LFP to go from 20 to 18 formations in the elite of French football from the 2023-2024 season. A concern all the stronger since the Pitchouns clearly did not have the most impressive budget (16th with 40 million in forecast). However, nearly nine months later, the report is implacable. Twelfth in Ligue 1 with 41 points, the Toulouse team has already practically ensured its maintenance.

Toulouse attacking Ligue 1!

Humiliated at the Orange Vélodrome (1-6) at the end of December, the Pitchouns owe this “comfortable” accounting situation to a large extent to a very good series achieved after the 2022 World Cup. Undefeated throughout the month of January ( 5 wins and 1 draw in all competitions), the Violets are thus 8 lengths ahead of Auxerre, fourteenth, and are only six points behind Stade de Reims, eighth. Carried by a well-oiled collective, past certainties and an intelligent transfer window – like Thijs Dallinga, 12 goals in L1 this season and Zakaria Aboukhlal with 12 achievements and 5 caviars in all competitions – the TFC reassures.

To read
Toulouse could be deprived of Europe despite a victory in the Coupe de France

Symbol of this success, Branco Van den Boomen, a great architect of the Toulouse climb last season, confirms all the expectations placed on him. Author of 5 goals and 8 assists in 34 matches in all competitions, the 27-year-old Dutch midfielder is perfectly supported by Rafael Ratão (5 goals, 2 offerings in L1) but can also count on the rising youth, at the Like Farès Chaïbi, a young 20-year-old left winger with 8 goals and 7 assists since the start of the year. Thanks to a game carried forward (eighth best attack in the championship with 48 goals scored) and a collectively efficient 4-3-3, Téfécé delights the Municipal Stadium. If the defensive performance is still largely improvable (fourth worst defense of L1), the club chaired by Damien Comolli will remain one of the real satisfactions at the time of the final balance sheet.

A crowning finale?

Before that, the teammates of Stijn Spierings and Brecht Dejaegere will even have the opportunity to make their season a little brighter. Opposed to FC Nantes, this Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Stade de France, in the final of the Coupe de France, the TFC will have the heavy task of dethroning the defending champions. But the opportunity is good. By winning against the Canaries, the Pitchouns – who can win their second trophy in this competition – would thus validate their return to Ligue 1 in the most beautiful way and could then claim to play in the Europa League next season. If a gray area remains around this point (the TFC has the same shareholder, RedBird Capital Partners, as AC Milan, virtually qualified in C3, and the texts of UEFA indicate that two clubs owned by the same owner cannot participate in the European Cups), Toulouse will be keen to return to the European scene, 13 years after its last appearance.

“A victory would mean a lot, for me but for the club of course. Bringing the Cup back would be wonderful. We represent a club, a city, a region. Friends of mine like Guy Lacombe told me that Occitanie was behind us. On the dynamics of the championship (2 consecutive losses, note), it should not be taken into account. Nantes lost 3-0 to Reims before making a fantastic Cup semi-final. Nantes will still be motivated. We are focused, the players are rather relaxed. The group lives well, it does not change., admitted the coach of the TFC. To do this, Philippe Montanier’s men will have to get rid of FC Nantes and the mission does not look easy against the band of Antoine Kombouaré who will have the firm ambition to offer themselves a new double after the two rank coronations in 1999 and 2000.

“Favorite or underdog? It’s simple, Nantes is defending champion. We are promoted to Ligue 1. Deal with that, nothing bothers us. In view of the paths of the two teams, we would tend to say that we are challengers, but we are proud if we are told that we are favourites., declared Montanier in this regard at a press conference. Note, moreover, that the Violets had lost, on August 28, on the side of Beaujoire during the first leg of Ligue 1. A spectacular match with nearly 25 strikes, including eleven on target, finally won by the Armorican club (3-1). Determined to chase away this unfavorable dynamic, the Toulouse team will also be able to rely on a feeling of revenge. That of a painful past… And for good reason, it is indeed against these same people from Nantes that the Occitanie team had competed in the climb play-offs at the end of the 2020/2021 season…

A revenge to take…

Despite their return victory at La Beaujoire (1-0), Toulouse FC ultimately failed at the gates of Ligue 1 after their home defeat in the first leg (2-1) and the away goal rule. An affront that the Toulouse supporters have obviously not forgotten and which could play on the fate of this final. “I don’t like to talk about the past, but there was disappointment. I’m concentrating on the final.”, assured, on the other hand, Dejaegere. A detachment also present in the speech of his coach: “Only two players in the group experienced this disappointment. Each game has its story. Water has flowed under the bridge since.” One thing is certain, this meeting as decisive as it is special for Alban Lafont, Maxime Dupé and Moussa Sissoko – who will cross paths with their former club – gives a glimpse of its share of promise. For the Canaries? The possibility of a new historic double. For the Pitchouns? A second coronation in the competition and the icing on the cake of an already convincing season.

A few hours before this final confrontation, the entire pink city is dressing in the colors of the event. If 51 buses will take the direction of the Stade de France, this Saturday morning, in order to transport the supporters of the TFC, flags are already installed on the front of the town hall. The facade of the Capitol will also be lit in purple and 18,000 people are expected in the famous square. A large-scale support underlined by Montanier in front of the journalists. “We are carried by our supporters, it boosts the players, it is a reward for them to come to the Stade de France. We are aware that it is quite unique to be honored like that in football and rugby. We fully intend to put the city at its highest. It’s a pretty rare moment.”. After defeating fans of Lannion FC (7-1), AC Ajaccio (2-0), Stade de Reims (3-1) or even Rodez (6-1) and the pleasant surprise Annecy (2-1 ), Toulouse only has one more step to climb. The highest. The most complicated but definitely the most exciting.