Kombouare takes Nantes from relegation fear to trophy quest

Updated Mar. 3, 2022 1:13 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Having saved Nantes from relegation, coach Antoine Kombouare has completely turned the club's fortunes around this season and Canaries fans are feeling chirpy again.

Nantes is one of only two sides to beat runaway league leader Paris Saint-Germain and is pushing hard on two fronts for a Europa League place.

Nantes is in seventh place heading into Sunday's home game against Montpellier — four points behind Rennes in fourth place and automatic qualification for the Europa League.

But Nantes has two shots at qualifying since it is through to the French Cup final, against Nice on May 8 at Stade de France.

Kombouare’s side is on course for a first trophy since winning the league in 2001 and can clinch the cup for the first time since 2000 and fourth overall.

Much of this is down to Kombouare.

He has transformed a nerve-ridden team low on confidence last season into a dynamic one full of energy.

That the fans adore him is hardly surprising, for his affection for the club where made his name as a player runs deep.

The former defender was there when the Stade de la Beaujoire opened in 1984 and, 38 years later, Kombouare shared in the joy as jubilant fans invaded the pitch on Wednesday night after

“It runs in my veins, that’s what I try to explain to the players ... I started here, in this stadium, I saw it being built," said the 58-year-old Kombouare, who played 177 games for Nantes. “Now I’m taking my club (to the cup final), the club I owe everything to. It’s very emotional. "

Nantes, with its distinctive all-yellow strip, is the fourth-most successful French club with eight league titles. Les Canaris (The Canaries) have won four domestic cups, and reached the Champions League semifinals in 1996 during its heyday.

But the trophy cabinet has been empty for 21 years now, and last season was one of the worst in its history.

Fans turned on the team at heated training sessions and wanted president Waldemir Kita to go. Christian Gourcuff and Raymond Domenech were both fired, before

“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll leave,” Kombouare said when he was hired. “I won’t stay if I’m not good enough to do my job.”

It went down to the wire, with Nantes edging a tense promotion-relegation battle against second-tier Toulouse on away goals after both sides lost at home for a 2-2 aggregate score.

May 30, 2021 was a scary day for Nantes fans, with Toulouse effectively one goal away from sending Nantes down.

“We got out of it and we have learned from our mistakes,” midfielder Ludovic Blas. “It’s more or less the same players now, so it means that the squad was good enough. It shows how difficult soccer is when you're lacking in confidence.”

Blas has matured as a player and is combining well with electric forwards Moses Simon and Randal Kolo Muani, while goalkeeper Alban Lafont is among the best in the league. All four players were

Kombouare, who won the cup as player and coach with PSG, wants his players to understand just what it would mean to beat Nice.

“Things go quickly in soccer. What do you remember at the end? Just the great moments. As for personal fortunes, who cares? Earning lots of money is good but it’s something personal, having nice cars is personal,” he told broadcaster Eurosport. “But experiencing this, sharing emotions and feeling like a family, sharing it all with the fans, that’s why we do this job.”

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