XALIMANEWS-While negotiations seemed well underway for the arrival of Habib Beye at FC Nantes, the project failed at the last minute. The club's refusal to finalize the agreement with the Senegalese technician, despite a preliminary agreement, is linked to differences over the composition of the staff, according to the French sports press.
Despite advanced negotiations, the project to recruit Habib Beye by FC Nantes failed due to budgetary constraints and difficulties in forming a staff. The uncertainty surrounding the project ultimately cooled Beye, who decided to step aside, ending a promising rapprochement.
A few days ago, FC Nantes took a decisive step in its quest to recruit Habib Beye. However, this file collapsed during the final phase, after the club's leaders decided not to materialize the initial agreement with the 47-year-old Senegalese technician. If the club cited reasons such as the inability to build a full staff, other underlying factors explain this failure.
In order to restore momentum to FC Nantes, currently 14th in Ligue 1 with only 14 points after 15 days (3 wins, 5 draws and 7 defeats), the management of the Canaries turned to Habib Beye, who had achieved the feat of bringing Red Star up to Ligue 2 and who had seen his name associated with several Ligue 1 clubs. Ready to take up this challenge, the former defender of the Lions of Teranga had welcomed favorably the interest of the people of Nantes.
According to Footmercatoafter an interview with Waldemar and Franck Kita, Habib Beye was the first coach to be received. His professionalism and vision convinced the managers, who asked him to form his staff. The discussions seemed to be going in the right direction, and an agreement on the conditions of his arrival was quickly reached. The contract was ready, validated and sent, with a signing date scheduled for Friday morning, followed by Beye's presentation in the afternoon. The objective was also for the new coach to take charge of the team the next day, during a Coupe de France match against Drancy.
However, Beye, preferring not to rush, suggested that a temporary worker lead this meeting, stressing that he would not have had time to work with the players. The Kita finally accepted this proposal. However, the following discussions took an unexpected turn. While everything seemed settled, the case failed. One of the reasons: when Beye spoke about his staff, the managers expressed the wish to integrate an experienced employee. The coach firmly defended his choice, insisting on his confidence in his current team, and specifying that he did not want to introduce someone he did not know.
The main point of friction concerned the physical trainer, a key position in the project. Habib Beye, who had been appointed for a six-month mission, within a constrained budgetary framework due to the dismissal of Antoine Kombouaré, found himself with limited room for maneuver to constitute his staff. Recruiting trusted collaborators already under contract with other clubs proved impossible, while convincing other candidates to join such an uncertain project proved to be a major challenge. Despite these obstacles, several professionals were interested in the idea of working alongside Beye.
But according to the French media, Grégory Dupont, who had initially agreed to join Habib Beye, withdrew for personal reasons, which destabilized the leaders of FC Nantes. Other candidates preferred to stay at their clubs, and the only options available were fitness trainers without a contract, which the club rejected. Faced with this situation, Habib Beye, although flexible, began to doubt when the leaders delayed the signing after Dupont's withdrawal. This attitude cooled Beye, who, disappointed, decided to withdraw, believing that he could not commit without total trust. The Nantes project thus seems abandoned for him.
