Three years after leaving Paris Saint-Germain to join Eintracht Frankfurt, initially on loan and then on a permanent deal, Éric-Junior Dina Ebimbe (24) is back in Ligue 1, having signed on loan at Stade Brestois. Following the completion of the move, the France international sat down with Get French Football News, in an interview facilitated by the LFP Media’s international department, to discuss his return, his time in Germany, and his ambitions.
Why did you make the choice to return to Ligue 1?
To get my confidence and my rhythm back. There is no better place to do that than in a league that you know, rather than in an unknown league or somewhere where it hasn’t gone so well; it is always harder. But when you come back to your home country, your first league, things logically go well because you have your points of reference. That’s why it was important for me to come back to France.
What are your memories from your last time in Ligue 1?
It was a bit of a rollercoaster! My first season in Ligue 1 was with Dijon, and on a personal level, I felt as though I had an interesting season, but collectively, there was the relegation to Ligue 2, unfortunately. But then the season after, I returned to PSG, where I played with great players. I discovered multiple different competitions, the rhythm was different, the objectives were different, and I could express myself with better players, and I was proud because it was my formative club. It was a dream for me to play for PSG, and we won the league. So to go from relegation to winning the league a year later… I have lots of good memories that allowed me to gain experience.
Were there other opportunities for you, and why did you choose Brest?
Monaco didn’t come off because I suffered a blow at Frankfurt. To clarify things, I had a bruise; It wasn’t a physical problem. I’ve never had a physical problem in my life, and I take good care of my body. I’m very often fit, but sometimes you take a hit. There was negligence, and I continued to train with the bruise, and it worsened. Monaco told me that they needed a player fit straight away, and that wasn’t my case. I understand their decision; it is logical. They needed a player able to play quickly, and I was out for maybe three or four weeks, so they preferred to go after other players (Moatasem Al-Musrati). Why Brest? I watched Brest last year in the Champions League and in the league, too. It is an ambitious team. They have a style of football that completely matches mine. I grew up in a 4-3-3 at PSG. Here it is the same thing. We talked about reference points; that is important to me. It’s what suits me. It is a familial club, and everyone wants the best for each other, so it was perfect for me to get into a rhythm and regain confidence.
Did Brest’s UCL run surprise you at all?
It was a surprise! We were maybe expecting the worst, but they showed that they were a team capable of playing the biggest European teams. They did what they had to do, and honestly, their journey has to be praised. It will be remembered. It was a showcase, and now the club has ambitions and foundations because now we know what Brest are capable of doing.
How was it playing Champions League football for your formative club?
I played with PSG and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. I’d say the first match was stressful; there is a lot of apprehension because you’re going into the unknown. The level is a lot higher and it is going to go twice as quickly playing against the best players in the world. But it is passion, you give it your all, and you realise the privilege to play in this competition because it doesn’t happen to everyone. You make the most of it, enjoy yourself, show what you can do, and it also allows you to take yourself to the next level because there are basic players and Champions League players, and so you can just be proud.
And what was it like training with the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Kylian Mbappé?
It massively improved my game, without me even realising. Just by training with such world-class players. It allows you to get a three or four-year head start on the players of the same age because you see what they do. Maybe you would have learned those things later. I gained a lot of experience with them, and it allowed me to gain time when I went to Frankfurt.
Will we see a different player than the one who left Ligue 1 in 2022?
I think that I have changed a lot. There is a lot of intensity in the German league. There are lots of teams with great quality. That helped me in terms of intensity in my game. I have progressed a lot in that regard. Now, I know that a player who is moving is dangerous. Here in France, there is a lot of individual talent, but I have improved my ball-striking. Physically, I am capable of attacking and defending for long periods in a match. I think that, in high-quality football, it is intensity that counts. The difference between a good player and an excellent player is the intensity and the ability to repeat multiple times within the same match the same actions with the same liveliness; that is something that I learned. That will serve me well for the rest of my career.
You talk about intensity, which is a hallmark of French football. Is that perhaps why French sides, notably PSG, have had more success in Europe in recent times?
A team that runs is a dangerous team. I think that’s what makes PSG’s football so good, beyond the exceptional individual quality of the players there. A team that runs lots of kilometres in a game is a team that is often rewarded in a match. So lots of clubs have understood that having players who bring that intensity, bring points.
How have your first steps at Brest been?
I just started in training to get my bearings because it was important for me to feel part of a squad again for a week of training and we played a friendly game, too. It is something that I have missed because I have had nearly eight months without playing. It is very difficult when you spend eight months outside of a team. The feeling of training again has helped me. Off the pitch, I have discovered the city, the shops, the places to visit, etc. I am quite discreet as a person. I like the city, it is calm. Everything is aligned for me to have a good season here, in peace and quiet.
There are lots of players that have impressed me [here]. I noted it here straight away. Players, individually, in France, have a head start on others. There are lots of things to bring, gaps to fill to be the perfect player, but every player here has a lot of quality. There are intelligent players who work together. It is like a chain; each player brings something to the group. There are solid foundations here. It is up to me to come into it and connect with them, but the individual qualities of the players have really impressed me.
Eric Roy is known as quite a demanding manager. Have you felt that in the opening sessions?
There are expectations; he often repeats the same things. If they aren’t taken on board, he repeats it. The assistant and the manager have a game plan, offensively and defensively, that is very clear, and the ideas are received; no player can say that the tactics aren’t understood. From my experiences at other French clubs, the individual quality of certain players was leaned on, but here, every day, every session, from the warm-up, there is intensity, and it allows you to play a good match on the weekend. We train as if we were playing a match, so there is a good mindset.
You have to prove yourself in every training session, but more generally, do you return to France with the feeling of having something to prove?
Naturally, you always have something to prove. What I have experienced, and I won’t play the coward, but it wasn’t my fault – but the injuries, being voluntarily cast aside, I can’t do anything about that, that’s football. But I could have come and signed for Brest, fully fit, and I wouldn’t have come as someone who wanted to prove something. It would just have been following on, meaning that I came to bring what I can to the group. I haven’t come to prove things individually; that would be a bit selfish. When you shine as a team, you don’t worry about the individual part. I just want to give what I’ve got and advance as a team. That’s all.
Have you set yourself any personal objectives for the coming season?
I know that I am someone who participates a lot going forward, scoring lots of goals. So if I can bring that to the team, without forgetting about the defensive work, but I know that I can bring a lot going forward so that is an objective that I have set myself this season. A goal-tally objective? I’ve already scored 10 in Germany. The league here is a lot more closed, tactically, it is more solid, but I think that it is possible to score 10 again. For me, the midfielder that I am, I know I am able to score 10 goals, but the defensive work is important, too. But I know that, if there are chances, why not go after 10 goals for a second time; that would be great!
And what are the collective objectives?
What I hear from the coach is often the same sentence: “We have to be difficult to play against.” In football, you win and you lose, but the most important thing is to be difficult to play against, with a good structure. We can’t say straight away that we are playing to stay up or to fight for the Champions League. You have to give time. There are new players, you have to get used to the tactics, and then you can fix objectives.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
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