Not yet mathematically relegated, but closer to dropping down to Ligue 2 than to staying in Ligue 1, Nantes are searching for their next manager. Olivier Pantaloni, who had been identified as the Canaries’ top choice, has turned down the job.
FC Nantes are already planning for the future. With their Ligue 1 survival hanging by a thread, the Nantes club are busy behind the scenes mapping out next season’s plans. Their primary objective is to find a new manager.
Having returned to the dugout on 10 March to succeed Ahmed Kantari, Vahid Halilhodzic will not continue beyond this season. Despite a slight improvement in the team’s play, the 73-year-old manager has failed to lift his side out of the relegation zone. Saturday’s 3-0 win over Marseille had reignited a glimmer of hope, but Auxerre’s 3-1 victory over Angers put the Burgundians, currently in the relegation play-off spot, five points clear the following day. With two games remaining, it will take a minor miracle to save FCN.
Pantaloni says no
Against this backdrop, Nantes’s management have already set the wheels of reconstruction in motion. Their top priority was Olivier Pantaloni. The profile of the Corsican manager, who is set to leave Lorient when his contract expires in June, ticked many boxes for the board, who saw him as the ideal man to steer the club towards a likely resurgence. But according to Ouest-France, the Lorient manager has turned down Nantes’ approach.
This refusal can be explained by his current high standing in the market. Following his immediate promotion with Lorient and a successful campaign to stay in the top flight, Pantaloni can logically aim for a more ambitious project. Toulouse are reportedly considering him for their shortlist to replace Carles Martinez Novell, who is leaving at the end of the season. Waldemar Kita, meanwhile, is now forced to explore other options. Among the candidates under consideration is Stéphane Gilli, who was sacked by Paris FC in February, just a few months after guiding the Parisian club to promotion to Ligue 1.
UEFA: Marseille face the threat of exclusion from European competition
Having been subject to stricter financial oversight by UEFA for several seasons, Marseille do not appear to be able to meet the requirements set by the European governing body. The Marseille club could face sanctions in the coming weeks.
After suffering a 3-0 defeat away to Nantes on Saturday, Olympique de Marseille have further jeopardised their chances of qualifying for Europe. They will now need a perfect run of results, combined with a slip-up by their direct rivals or a Lens victory over Nice in the French Cup final, to stand any hope of competing in a European competition next season.
But even if the scenario plays out in their favour, there is no guarantee that OM will actually be able to compete in Europe. Behind the scenes, the Marseille club is grappling with another issue.
OM’s accounts in the red
According to reports in L’Equipe, Marseille is struggling to comply with the agreement signed with UEFA in 2022 under financial fair play rules. At the time, to avoid heavier sanctions, the club owned by Frank McCourt had agreed to a strict roadmap: returning to break-even over three seasons, with a deficit capped at €60 million.
The current financial position is far from satisfactory. Over the three financial years in question, OM has posted net losses of nearly €157 million, including a staggering deficit of €105 million for the 2024–2025 season. Even after being revised downwards by certain adjustments authorised by UEFA, the figures remain alarming and it seems unlikely that this will enable the club to comply with the rules.
Several possible sanctions
The case is still to be examined by the Club Financial Control Body, with a decision expected by the end of the month. Marseille hopes to highlight the French context, particularly the collapse in TV rights revenue, to limit the damage. “We have tried to explain to the European regulatory authorities the media landscape in France, the lack of visibility. I hope UEFA will understand this, that this lack of TV rights has an impact on our viability,” explained McCourt on 10 April during the presentation of the new president, Stéphane Richard.
It remains to be seen whether UEFA will consider the shortfall to be manageable or too significant. In the former case, OM could face a fine, or even a cap on the number of players registered for European competition. In the latter, the threat is far more severe: exclusion from their next European campaign. In Marseille, the race for Europe could therefore turn into a cruel twist of fate: qualifying without being certain of being able to play. It would be yet another disappointment for Marseille supporters
