The paths of FC Nantes and Pierre Aristouy will separate. With only 15 small points in 12 matches and an 11th place in the Ligue 1 standings, the Nantes leaders have decided to thank their French coach and restart their season, according to information from The Team et West France which we are able to confirm. Aristouy, who was only informed this morning of this decision, arrived at the end of last season to replace Antoine Kombouaré to keep the club in the elite, a mission he had accomplished. His mixed start to the season finally got the better of him. The Canaries remain, in fact, in 4 matches without success.
His successor has already been designated. An agreement in principle has even already been found this Tuesday between Jocelyn Gourvennec and the Nantes management. The Brestois will be committed until June 2025. He will be accompanied by two deputies: Kévin Plantet and Pierre Espanol. Gourvennec, who according to Ouest France is expected today in Nantes to lead his first session, has been free since his departure from Lille at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Despite reaching the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Dogues’ 10th place in Ligue 1 did not convince the leaders to keep it.
Gourvennec and Nantes know each other well. Between 1995 and 1998, the Frenchman played for three seasons at FC Nantes, quickly becoming one of the bosses of the midfield. He then took charge of Olympique de Marseille, before discovering many other French clubs: Montpellier, Rennes, Bastia, Angers and Clermont. In Loire-Atlantique, his mission will be to raise the bar and bring the club back up the rankings, to regain its former place.
Nantes is the 4th elite club to change coach since the start of the season after Lyon (Blanc by Grosso), Marseille (Marcelino by Gattuso) and Rennes (Génésio by Stephan).
