Nantes, the match after shame

The least we can say is that this final really annoyed Antoine Kombouaré. Irritated by the often insufficient performances of his players in the league in April, the FC Nantes coach was in a hurry to go to Saint-Denis, so that his team could try to win a second French Cup in a row and so that they could, Finally, «move on». That’s it, it’s over. The final took place last Saturday. On the other hand, we are not entirely certain that the people of Nantes manage to turn the page as if nothing had happened. Because they planted themselves in the great widths and were humiliated by euphoric Toulouse (1-5), making their very many supporters experience an ordeal. «Maybe we saw each other too handsome. This Toulouse team, we thought it was less strong, we should perhaps have backed down a little more, waited more, done differently»suggested Jean-Charles Castelletto at a press conference on Monday. «What do you want me to tell you? the Cameroonian defender was annoyed. We will forget this final and move on. We only deserve that, to get a slap in the face and wake up.» It would be better to wake up, indeed. And quick.

Far from the expected outcome.

The Club thanks you for your support.

Make way for the next deadlines for our maintenance.

We are Nantes. pic.twitter.com/01Nb315LiS

— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) April 30, 2023

Sport Work and dialogue as remedies

Because just four days after being ridiculed on the most beautiful of stages and in front of the whole of France, the Canaries must already put on the blue heater. Brest awaits them firmly, this Wednesday evening (9 p.m.), for a match which promises to be crucial in the race to maintain. And for good reason: in the event of a setback at Francis-Le Blé, the FCN will switch to the red zone, five days before the end of the season. «We know we missed something big, we disappointed a lot of people, our families, our friends, our supporters. But we have to get up quickly»hammered Kombouaré, who bet on the dialogue to heal the heads. «I’m going to put things in place, make small changes, but also involve the players in discussions, so that together we find solutions, he explained earlier this week. I will also reassure them, so that on Wednesday, we show another face. We have to want to attack this match better than the final.» Eager not to «relive this feeling of shame»Castelletto hopes that his partners will be able to make their ego speak. «We are pros, we all have our pride, our pride, it must take precedence over the next matches»he insisted.

💬 Antoine Kombouaré before #sb29fcn

“We are two days away from a crucial match (…) We have to remobilize quickly. We know that we have missed out on something big. We have disappointed our families and the supporters. that we will find the cure” pic.twitter.com/ZCrkbxmi0w

— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) May 1, 2023

Sport «Now we have our eyes open»

The number 21 of the Yellow and Green also had the honesty to admit that his formation, which was ten points ahead of the relegation zone in mid-February, has long lived in a certain denial vis-à-vis the fight for maintenance. «We didn’t see it happen, teams like Auxerre or Brest are having a very good second half of the season, acknowledged the 28-year-old. Now, we have our eyes open, and we see that we must not do anything.» Especially since the context is now explosive. While banners calling for the departure of Waldemar Kita had been deployed even before half-time at the Stade de France, around fifty members of the Brigade Loire entered La Jonelière on Monday, interrupting training to chat with the players. and put pressure on them. According The Team, Antoine Kombouaré could also be ousted in the event of poor performance in Finistère. This did not prevent him from being a conqueror, even if it meant going overboard. «We are not sick, we are very healthy, assured the Kanak. We still have our destiny in our hands, we are sixteenth with still six games and eighteen points to take.» Nantes must precisely take it without delay. To reassure themselves and, as much as possible, erase the shame experienced in Saint-Denis.

Valenciennes and the Dangote hypothesis