It was a difficult start for Billy Koumetio at the weekend, with the Liverpool defender receiving a red card in the 52nd minute of his debut.Koumetio arrived at Anfield from US Orleans in 2018 and returned to his native France this season for a loan spell at USL Dunkirk.
The move to Ligue 2 comes after an interrupted spell at Austria Wien last time out, with a lack of playing time and financial problems when his contract was terminated in January.
But while the move to Dunkirk could have been seen as an opportunity for Koumetio, the 20-year-old’s debut was far from what he had hoped for.
Just 52 minutes into Saturday’s clash with Grenoble, the centre-back received his second of two yellow cards, leaving his new team with ten men.
Dunkirk goalkeeper Arnaud Balijon went to save his team.
His second yellow card came after he was deflected by Lenny Joseph and scuffled with the winger before missing the ball after a challenge from behind.
There were no complaints from Koumetio, who will now miss Dunkirk’s clash against Rodez AF on Saturday evening.
“As football is full of surprises, we were better with ten men,” Balijon told the club’s official website after the match.
“We found other solutions, so maybe that’s something we should look into.
defender makes nightmare debut for new club – sent off after 52 minutesSeptember 18, 2023Jack LusbyBilly Koumetio’s loan spell got off to a rocky start this weekend, with the Liverpool defender receiving a red card after 52 minutes on his debut.
Koumetio arrived at Anfield from US Orléans in 2018 and returned to his native France on loan to USL Dunkerque this season.
The move to Ligue 2 comes after an abortive spell with Austria Wien last time out, with his contract terminated in January due to a lack of playing time and financial formalities.
But while the move to Dunkirk can be seen as an opportunity for Koumetio, the 20-year-old’s debut has been far from what he had hoped for.
Just 52 minutes into Saturday’s match against Grenoble, the centre-back received his second of two yellow cards, reducing his new team to 10 men.
Koumetio played as a left central defender in a three-man defense and received both of his yellow balls following unnecessary attacks high up the left side.
Before his first yellow card, Grenoble had already had his chance thanks to a big error in possession from Pape Meissa Ba, and Dunkirk goalkeeper Arnaud Balijon had to save his team.
His second yellow card came after he was deflected by Lenny Joseph and scuffled with the winger before missing the ball after a challenge from behind.
There were no complaints from Koumetio, who will now miss Dunkirk’s clash against Rodez AF on Saturday evening.
“As football is full of surprises, we were better with ten men,” Balijon told the club’s official website after the match.
“We found other solutions, so maybe that’s something we should look into.
”Koumetio – who is both physically and technically gifted and has excellent passing skills – has often struggled with his concentration in recent years.
The hope is that he learns from his difficult start in League Two and returns much better, with his recent lack of playing time after pre-season with Liverpool’s U21s likely a factor.
Dunkirk, who were promoted from the National Championship last season, are currently 17th in France’s 20-team second division and have just one win in six games so far.
