The Brittany club’s story is remarkable, all the more so as this is a team led by an amateur painter, and one that counts in its ranks a published author (midfielder Paul Lasne) as well as a part-time fishmonger (goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur).

Last weekend, they put end to their worst run of the campaign with a 2-1 win over Girondins de Bordeaux. Olivier Dall’Oglio’s expansive, entertaining Bretons looked like their real selves again, firing 24 shots at the visitors’ goal and gliding through their defence to net the late winner, scored by France Under-21 international Romain Faivre.

When asked by The Ligue 1 Show on beIN Sports about his team’s open, attacking style of play, Dall’Oglio replied: “That’s what you want as a football fan. Even if it’s risky, even if we have had rough patches, we have stuck with it. You can’t take that from us, we’ve stuck by our principles and earned results.”

Brest head into Sunday’s away clash against LOSC - whom they defeated at home earlier this season - in the bottom half of the table, but they remain on course for a comfortable mid-table finish.

Always looking to entertain

“The top priority is stay in Ligue 1, because of our budget and also because of the fact we only returned to the top flight last season,” added Dall’Oglio, who uncovered his talent for painting at the School of Fine Arts in the southern city of Perpignan in the 1990s.

“But I think our supporters are keen to see us play nice football. They saw lots of goals go in when the club was in Ligue 2, and they want that tradition to continue. Looking to implement and play entertaining football is not only part of my DNA but has also been part of the club and the staff’s DNA for some time now.

“We need entertaining football at the moment, because stadiums are closed, and because when people sit down in front of the TV to watch a match they want things to happen. There’s nothing worse than getting up at the end of the game and feeling disappointed.

“We try, but of course I say this with humility because sometimes games are cagey, and sometimes we just don’t perform quite as well. But the will to entertain is always there.”

Eleven different players have scored for Dall’Oglio’s men this term, including all four first-choice defenders. Whether it be at set-pieces or when building an attack out from their own penalty box, Brest’s players are under clear instruction.

“We need to be able to play short passes but also to play it long,” Dall’Oglio said. “We work hard on player positioning, so that the players know where to place themselves with regards to where the ball is. Then the player’s creativity comes into play. Then we go back on things, and insist on the basics. So the way we train is essential to our progress.”

Mounié: 'We try to have fun'

Two of Brest’s leading lights this season - powerful forward Steve Mounie and creative maestro Faivre - were brought in at the start of the current campaign. Their influence in the side is testament to the hard work that Dall’Oglio has put in both on the field and behind the scenes.

“I think he really likes it when he sees his team playing nice football. He likes to pass the ball and build,” said Benin striker Mounié, who returned to France with Brest after a spell in England at Huddersfield Town.

“It’s enjoyable you know. We try to have fun on the pitch, even at training we have a good team spirit. Everyone likes each other and I feel like we are a really good team and we can reach the top level.”

However, to reach that top level, the Breton entertainers need to sort out their defence. A remarkable 81 goals have been scored in the 24 games they have played so far, but more than half of those have been let in at the wrong end.

“That’s the problem,” said Dall’Oglio. “We want to continue playing fluid attacking football but we need to make progress defensively. It’s most noticeable when we play against the top-level forwards and you can see that we still lack a little concentration at times. We still have plenty to improve upon.”

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