Once again beaten at home by Le Havre on Sunday (2-0, 12th day of Ligue 1), Nantes finds itself in an extremely delicate situation. While Antoine Kombouaré appears weakened, the Canaries are also exposed to significant sanctions after the incidents with the supporters.
Facing Le Havre (2-0 defeat, 12th day of Ligue 1), the Beaujoire stadium experienced another surreal day on Sunday, with a match interrupted twice due to action by supporters. The three-minute added time took place in an almost empty stadium while FC Nantes was trailing 0-2 by Le Havre, a direct competitor for the descent. Between the catastrophic results, the future of Kombouaré and the disciplinary sanctions to come, FC Nantes woke up with a hangover.
If the FC Nantes players will only return to Jonelière on Tuesday afternoon, nothing says at the moment that training will be led by Antoine Kombouaré and his staff. Sunday evening, after taking a blow to the head, the club management gave itself the night before making a decision regarding the future of Antoine Kombouaré. Waldemar Kita and his son find themselves in a situation common to many autumns in Loire-Atlantique: the failure of results.
Third in the standings after three days and seven points taken, the Canaries have never stopped plunging in the standings with three points picked up out of 27 possible and not a single victory since September 1, i.e. nine matches. It took 11 unsuccessfully in 2023 for the Kita family to separate from Kanak. Last year, after 13 days, his successor Pierre Aristouy gave way to Jocelyn Gourvennec, already after a match against Le Havre and despite a draw. Aristouy had 15 points in 13 games and was in 11th position, while Kombouaré's men now have only 10 points in twelve games and are in a play-off for the first time this season before traveling to Paris next Saturday.
A separation that could be expensive
“Antoine Kombouaré is not weakened, I hope I will leave sooner than him.” These were the words of Waldemar Kita three weeks ago before the reception in Marseille (2-1 defeat). Since then, the president and his son have necessarily started thinking about whether the separation can still wait or whether the button should already be pressed. At midday this Monday, the Kita family did not communicate their intentions. Antoine Kombouaré and Alban Lafont, the only ones to speak on Sunday evening, were on the same wavelength: getting through this together. It must be said that in these lean times for French football, writing a check for 2 or 3 million to the Kanak who has re-signed a contract until June 2026 would not improve finances.
Strong sanctions to be expected
And the club's finances could also suffer another setback. On April 7, Beaujoire sounded hollow. FC Nantes faced Lyon behind closed doors due to the use of nearly 300 smoke bombs in the stands three weeks earlier against Strasbourg. A shortfall close to a million for the club which could recur if the LFP disciplinary committee decides to heavily sanction FC Nantes for the violent acts of around forty hooded individuals who attempted to invade the pitch Sunday evening during added time. The interruption of the meeting on two occasions could be on the menu of the League's disciplinary commission which is due to meet on Wednesday. A withdrawal of points, a partial or total closed session are in fact part of the sanctions provided for in this type of circumstance.
Related News :