Nîmes Olympique: Lucas Dias, the vague goalkeeper

Lucas Dias espère que tous ses pépins, physiques et autres, sont aujourd’hui définitivement derrière lui. Midi Libre – Mikaël Anisset

l'essentiel Le portier de 25 ans, qui relève de blessure, a eu sa chance mais n’a pas encore réussi à s’imposer dans les cages crocos. Cette saison sera-t-elle la bonne ?

It’was too early to resume in Toulon. It was still too early to participate in the second preparation match against OM, Sunday July 20, late in the afternoon. But he wanted to make the trip to the Commanderie, "to relive a match from the inside and to create links with friends".

Lucas Dias, 25, who is entering his twelfth season in the Nîmes jersey, has not played a single match since September 1, 2023 and a 2-0 defeat at Avranches, with his guilt committed on the first aim. The fault, first of all, is lumbago. The fault, above all, was a total rupture of the cruciate ligament and a partial rupture of the external lateral ligament of his left knee.

25 September 2023, a cursed date

He hasn’t forgotten the date. "It’was September 25, 2023, warming up before training, during a game of ball tennis. With a simple push on my left foot, my knee moved back and forth and I heard a big “clack”. So big that “Babik” (Anthony Babikian, goalkeeper coach, left for Pau, Editor's note) thought that I had exploded a plot."

#football Dias, Cozzella, les gardiens de @nimesolympique, et l’ancien Beaucairois Ichalalen, présent depuis la reprise, à l’entraînement. pic.twitter.com/aynHkTI5Hk

— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) July 12, 2024

The native Lyonnais smiles about it today: "At the time, I even lost the point !"< /em> But, even if she "forged his morale" and allowed & quot;working on bodybuilding", this long period on the side – operation on October 15 – was not easy to cross. "You are on the sidelines, football lives without you", he says.

Back in the loop, "with even more trouble", Lucas Dias is obviously far from the world be 100%. "The basics, management of depth and trajectories, came back quite quickly even if I conceded goals that I did not concede before. It’s frustrating but I know it will get resolved over the course of the sessions. I have difficulty bending my knee completely and I always have a little apprehension after diving on the left side, I slowly get up. But I have no pain, just a little discomfort."

A place number 1 to take

"We must not go too quickly with Lucas", repeats since the restart Adil Hermach, who could ( re)launch on Saturday during the fourth preparation match against Aubagne, rather than Wednesday against Istres.

Paradowski left for Pau, the position of goalkeeper n° 1 is in any case vacant. Since Cozzella only arrived last January with the status of n° 3, can Lucas Dias claim her ? "T< em>out is blurry to me, he replies. I was not told more, except to succeed in my preparation and return to my best level. I give everything for this."

"There is no need to be worried and hurry, explained to Midi Libre, a few days ago, Sébastien Larcier, questioned about this file of the guards. Lucas' preparation is going well so far, so why not consider him becoming our number again 1 ?" The uncertainties over a return to the forefront of the player, and to the extent that he would have the financial means, also made the sports director say: "< em>It would still be good to take a guard."

Uncertainties and doubts about his ability to wear the costume

Because the uncertainties and doubts do not only concern Lucas Dias' physique, but also his ability to don the costume. The last two seasons, he started in the shoes of the holder but he did not manage to really impose himself or convince. In 2022-2023, he lost his place to Maraval after a failed outing at Valenciennes. "I am not exempt from all reproaches", recognizes this calm temperament to which we have always been told to force one's nature in order to to "be more directive on the ground, to be more frightening".

His four successful appearances in Ligue 1, in 2019, to replace the injured Bernardoni, seem very distant. "People had confidence in me, I had fun", recalls Lucas Dias, emphasizing that this confidence did not accompany him as much in recent months. Doesn't he say, moreover: "I knew that I had no right to make mistakes, that the slightest fault would be made on me fatal. So perhaps I played with more pressure and restraint, without exploiting all my qualities, or not enough" ?

"I’I have the impression that my career started off soaring, then it took a downward phase and that&rsquo ;it is stagnating a little today", he further notes. Under contract until June 2026, Lucas Dias does not despair of finally establishing himself definitively in his favorite club. This will require "to be good at the right time, to have a little success and the confidence of an entire club" . But he is well placed to know : "We can't control everything."

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