Interview: Brest's Dina Ebimbe seeking 'confidence & rhythm' following Ligue 1 return
Éric-Junior Dina Ebimbe - the revenant. The former PSG midfielder returned to Ligue 1 McDonald's last month, joining Brest on a loan deal from Eintracht Frankfurt. He has now spoken to us about his trajectory and his motivations for returning to France.
Dina Ebimbe recalls Ligue 1 'rollercoaster'
Dina Ebimbe is already a familiar face for Ligue 1 McDonald's fans. The midfielder has, in fact, already been crowned French champion during his time with formative club PSG. He was part of the side that won the 2021/22 campaign, however, his time in Ligue 1 McDonald's wasn't spent exclusively at the top of the table, as he recalls.
"It was a bit of a rollercoaster," he began. "My first season in Ligue 1 McDonald's was with Dijon, and on a personal level, I thought 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... 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."
𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐄𝐛𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐬 ❤️🤍
✍️ Le milieu de terrain de 24 ans est prêté avec option d’achat par l'Eintracht Francfort et portera le numéro 7️⃣— Stade Brestois 29 (@SB29) September 1, 2025
Playing Champions League football and training with some of the best in the world helped the France youth international progress his game.
"The Champions League? You make the most of it, enjoy yourself, and show what you can do, and it also allows you to take yourself to the next level," says Dina Ebimbe, who, whilst with Les Parisiens, trained with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Neymar Jr.
Training with MNM allowed Dina Ebimbe to get a 'head start'
"It massively improved my game, without me even realising," began the former Dijon and Le Havre loanee. He added, "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."
Having left PSG to join Eintracht Frankfurt, initially on loan and then on a permanent deal back in 2022, he returns to Ligue 1 McDonald's a player remoulded by his experiences abroad.
"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," said the Frenchman.
His return to Ligue 1 McDonald's could have come sooner, amid interest from Monaco in January, however, his return was secured just before the transfer deadline last month. He returns to his native country with a clear objective.
"[I decided to return to France] 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," he revealed.
Dina Ebimbe impressed by Brest's UCL feat
Dina Ebimbe opted to join Les Ty-Zéfs as he sees the Breton club as an "ambitious" team, whilst he also referenced the club's impressive and "surprising" performances in last season's Champions League.
"They showed that they were a team capable of playing the biggest European teams. Their journey has to be praised. It will be remembered," says the new signing.
Whilst the midfielder comes back to France looking to bounce back after a few tough months, he assures us where his priorities lie.
"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," he stated.
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