Regis Le Bris conceded Sunderland are lacking confidence, but says the club and fans must "stick together and be combative until the end" after losing to Dinamo Zagreb.

Having gone unbeaten in their first three Europa League games this season (W2 D1), Sunderland suffered their first defeat on the continent, going down 2-0 to Dinamo.

Luka Stojkovic scored the opener before then teeing up Dion Beljo for their second before the break.

Wilson Isidor had a goal disallowed shortly after the break, and Sunderland twice hit the woodwork, but they failed to find a breakthrough as they slumped to defeat.

Le Bris is now coming under increasing pressure, with Sunderland also sitting bottom of the Premier League table after a disappointing start to the season.

And the Frenchman admitted their form is affecting their confidence across all competitions, not just in the top-flight.

When asked if they are out of confidence by TNT Sports, Le Bris said: "Probably.

"We have good players, a good team. I believe this team has a really big potential. We showed it last season. But you also have to experience tough situations. Last season, it happened a bit later when we had 30, 35 points.

"Now the situation is different. This situation will define us as well as a team, as a club, with our fans, with staff – we'll stick together and be combative until the end."

Our first #UEL defeat. https://t.co/0o8q7RHsOr

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 5, 2026

Sunderland were jeered by the Stadium of Light crowd at both half-time and full-time amid their worrying form.

Despite an improved second-half performance, which saw Sunderland limit Dinamo to just one off-target shot, while having 12 attempts at the other end, Le Bris' side were ultimately beaten by the damage done before the break.

"Tough period. We had two different halves," Le Bris said of the performance.

"The first one was difficult with many young players. This period is not easy to manage, and we felt even if they tried, it's heavy at the minute. It's not easy to change the dynamic.

"I appreciated the reaction in the second half, even though there were more experienced players. More quality, more experience on the pitch. We are unlucky because we created many chances, but it wasn't enough. It's like this: when you go on a poor run, it's hard to change the dynamic.

"We are still combative; the players tried until the end to show something different. We know that the most important game this week is at the end of the week against Chelsea.

"I'm pleased with the energy and competitiveness until the end. Now we need more quality; it's fair to say that, because at the minute, it's not the case."