Toulouse FC will open its Ligue 1 season on Saturday, August 22 at 8:45 p.m. at the Stadium against Olympique Lyonnais, marking the first league match in charge for new Danish coach Jens Berthel Askou.
With twelve days left before that kickoff, Toulouse have already played four of the five friendlies scheduled for their preseason campaign.
Preseason friendly results
The campaign opened with a 1-1 draw against Ligue 2 side Rodez in Montauban, with Casseres scoring for Toulouse. The club then beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in Tarbes, with goals from Vignolo and Hidalgo, before defeating Emirati champions Al-Ain 1-0 in Murcia through a goal from Bakhouche.
Last Saturday brought the team's first defeat of preseason, a 4-0 loss to Spanish side Elche, played at Toulouse's training camp roughly 1,000 kilometers from home. The squad left the camp shortly after the match.
New coach's system
Askou has given his players significant freedom within what the club describes as a strict structural framework. Askou told his squad to play as they wished but to keep the structure, according to the report.
When Askou was presented to the press, club president Olivier Cloarec said Toulouse needed to produce more spectacle, particularly at home. The team has shown high pressing, resilience in holding on to its lead in the final quarter-hour against Al-Ain, and both combination play through midfield and direct verticality against Real Sociedad.
Individually, new full-backs Diallo on the right and Tapé on the left have been heavily involved in both defense and attack. Midfielder Vossah has been covering ground in a role likened to a flanker, and Dönnum has featured as a number 10.
Transfer window activity
The transfer window closes on Tuesday, September 1 at 7:59 p.m., and Toulouse's squad is expected to change further before then. The club's sporting director said the situation was not causing much stress, saying the club was working well in its offices and building on the field with the players available.
Defender Charlie Cresswell has already left Toulouse for Rennes in exchange for what was described as a very good fee, though he remains in France.
A young, inexperienced squad
The 4-0 loss to Elche is one result Askou wants to leave behind, though he said afterward that lessons would be learned from it, including from the youth spread across every line of the team.
In defense, Nicolaisen is flanked by 20-year-old Tapé and 22-year-old Diallo, neither with top-level experience. In midfield, Vossah is just 18. Up front, Vignolo and new signing Oppong are 19 and 18 respectively, while Hidalgo is 21.
Final friendly against Hamburg
Before facing Lyon, Toulouse will play one more friendly, hosting Hamburg (HSV) on Saturday, August 15 at 7 p.m. at the Stadium, the club's traditional final test before a season opener.
Last year, Toulouse hosted Sevilla FC in the same slot and drew 1-1, with Santiago Hidalgo scoring his first goal for the club with a header in his first minutes on the pitch. In 2024, Toulouse lost 2-0 to Valladolid in the Trophée Viola. In 2023, José Mourinho's AS Roma left the Stadium with a narrow 2-1 win, a match in which goalkeeper Guillaume Restes went on to become the team's first-choice keeper for the season, while Thijs Dallinga opened the scoring in the game that launched a run of 14 Ligue 1 goals for him.
Tickets for the Hamburg friendly start at 9 euros in the Taton stand for the general public, while the match is free for supporters holding a Totjorn Mai season pass.
