Nantes fires coach Kombouaré after struggle to stay in Ligue 1
NANTES, France (AP) — Nantes fired coach Antoine Kombouaré on Tuesday after a difficult season where the club battled to stay in Ligue 1.
Nantes finished 13th in the 18-team league and top-flight survival was not certain until the final round.
“FC Nantes announces the end of its collaboration with Antoine Kombouaré, head coach of the professional team,” Nantes posted on X. “The club sincerely thanks Antoine Kombouaré and his staff for their professionalism and dedication.”
The 61-year-old Kombouaré had one year left on his contract.
He remains a popular figure at the club, having saved it from relegation in 2021 and winning the French Cup in 2022 — the club’s first trophy in 21 years.
Kombouaré had a difficult relationship with Nantes president Waldemir Kita, who fired him in 2023 and re-hired him amid another relegation scrap the following year.
Kombouaré was part of the Nantes team when the club’s La Beaujoire stadium opened in 1984, and played 177 games as a rugged defender.
He was sacked as the Paris Saint-Germain coach by the club’s new Qatari owners at the end of 2011 to make way for Carlo Ancelotti. PSG was three points clear at the top when Kombouaré was fired, and PSG then lost the title to unheralded Montpellier in a huge upset. ___
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