“I expect an open match, with lots of goals”

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Dominique, first of all, how is it happening for you in Gibraltar?

Things are going for the best. I came here to look for playing time, to have an indisputable starting place. I have a string of matches and good performances. We will try to find a European place, why not.

Do you arrive and continue to follow Ligue 2 and your former clubs?

Yes, I can follow. It's important. I stay connected with colleagues, I try to watch their matches.

Your very first professional group was precisely for a trip to Moustoir…

Yes, I remember very, very well. It was a 3-0 defeat in the Coupe de France (in November 2019, Editor’s note). It was a good experience. I said to myself: “Ah yes, this is the professional world”. I rubbed shoulders with professional players on a daily basis, and there I found myself on a professional bench, which had been one of my dreams since I was little. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Do the derbies between Guingamp and Lorient have a special flavor?

Always. When we were young, we often had these little derbies. I often played against Lorient as a youth team, and even as a reserve. It doesn't matter if you play against a Breton club, it's always a derby. You always have this little thing that you want to win, you want to show that you are the best Breton club.

You know most of the players on the team (Hugo Picard, Jacques Siwé, Taylor Luvambo, etc.) What do you think of their performances, and of this Sylvain Ripoll version of the team?

Honestly, I'm very happy with them. I was already there as a professional when they arrived. Seeing them hatch like this, I can only be happy for them. Hugo Picard is starting to have stats, which he lacked a little. Jacques Siwé, it’s true that he’s starting to be effective. And for Taylor, he continues to do good things, come in and be effective. I watch them every weekend. When they meet good people, I try to send them a little message, because they remain my friends and I am very happy for them.

On the Lorient side, who or what should Guingamp be wary of?

We must be wary of the collective. It's a team that plays very good football. Since our youth categories, when we played against Lorient, we knew that we were going to run because it is a team that plays football and does not have pressure. Eli Kroupi, or Mohamed Bamba, it's true that they score, but we will have to be wary of the collective. Benjamin Genton, who was in Lorient before, tried to bring back this “Lorient touch” with Sylvain Ripoll. I found that again this year in Guingamp. I think it's going to be a very good match. Honestly, it could be a Ligue 1 poster. Guingamp, I saw that they were 5th and Lorient 2nd. Lorient must pull itself together and Guingamp must get over the hump, which it has not been able to do in recent years.

A prognosis?

I expect an open meeting with two teams playing football. We're going to see pressure, ball losses, recoveries… Without getting too carried away, I think there are going to be a lot of goals. In addition, on the Lorient side, they will want to please their supporters at home. Afterwards, the result, I don't know. I blocked my schedule. I'll be tuned in to watch the colleagues!

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