Daniel Riolo, editorialist for After Foot, revealed the underside of the Kombouaré affair which recently launched a rant against the press by accusing him of having announced his departure from the Nantes bench. This was well documented before a turnaround, assures Daniel Riolo.
The year started with a huge rant for Antoine Kombouaré. Last Thursday, the Nantes coach got angry with journalists, accusing them of having announced his ouster after a defeat against Brest (4-1) on December 15. Finally kept in post, he criticizes the media for not having apologized. According to Daniel Riolo, presidents Waldemar and Franck Kita had nevertheless planned to part ways with their coach and had even found a replacement for him, Habib Beye, before a turnaround in the situation.
“Kombouaré, it was 100% finished”
“Obviously they wanted to fire him, that it was confirmed,” assured the editorialist in the After on Monday evening. “They spoke with Conceicao but there was never really any question of him coming. On the other hand, with Habib Beye, it was complete except that in the constitution of the staff, he did not have a performance manager. When the Kita knew that there was perhaps the possibility that Grégory Dupont would come (with Beye) – who is a big name among performance managers -, that excited them a little because he worked with Zidane and he is super respected. The Beye clan called Greg Dupont to find out if he was coming but he told them that he couldn't decide so quickly. Kita called back (Beye) in the evening: 'he (Dupont) is coming. not?'. 'No, maybe he won't come'. 'Ah well no, let's forget about it then.' .”
According to Daniel Riolo, “everything went wrong” for Beye while Kombouaré's fate was resolved at that time. “Before things went wrong, Kombouaré, it was 100% over,” he insists. “Habib Beye was in Paris and he was told to come to Nantes the next day, Friday the 20th, to make the presentation before going to the bench for the (Coupe de France) match against Drancy. Beye said: ' no, I can't take on the team like that, I'm not going to have the time, hire a temporary worker from the club'. The managers said: 'ah yes, we'll maybe do that in the end'. hood because he cannot free Greg Dupont.”
The Kita family then spoke with Antoine Kombouaré “who regains a little confidence by telling them that he can get through it, that he wants to continue”. “And the Kita changed their minds for the umpteenth time. When he (Kombouaré) reproaches the Nantes journalists for having said, 'it's over', yes, it was over. Kombouaré's reaction which takes from journalists, there is no reason to do that. There, Kombouaré is wrong.”
Daniel Riolo concludes his argument with an invitation. “Mr. Kombouaré and Mr. Kita, come on the show and tell me that it didn't happen like that word for word. I will show you my phone and what you said yourselves.”
