FC Nantes

Les Canaris of Nantes: A legacy of collective spirit and youth development.

Football Club de Nantes, commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes, is a French professional football club based in Nantes in Pays de la Loire. The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, through a merger of five smaller local clubs based in the city. From 1992 to 2007, the club was referred to as FC Nantes Atlantique before reverting to its current name at the start of the 2007–08 season. Nantes will compete in Ligue 2, following relegation from the Ligue 1.

Quick Facts

Primary stakes: Ligue 1 Championship & French Cup

Lore & Background

Nantes is one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won eight Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France wins and attained one Coupe de la Ligue victory. The club is famous for its jeu à la nantaise, its collective spirit, mainly advocated under coaches José Arribas, Jean-Claude Suaudeau and Raynald Denoueix and for its youth system, which has produced players such as Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps, Mickaël Landreau, Claude Makélélé, Christian Karembeu and Jérémy Toulalan. As well as Les Canaris, Nantes is also nicknamed Les jaunes et verts and La Maison Jaune.

Reader's Guide

The club was founded in 1943. Among the founding businessmen was the builder Jean Le Guillou, whose racehorse Ali Pacha had a jockey who wore yellow and green, colours that have since been represented on the FC Nantes jersey. The first match played by Nantes as a professional team took place at the Stade Olympique de Colombes against CA Paris, where Nantes triumphed 2–0. The first home match was a defeat of the same score against Troyes.

The club finished fifth at the end of this first season following which the club's manager Aimé Nuic left the club following a dispute, and was succeeded by Antoine Raab, who took over in a player-coach role. The club became a professional football club in 1945 after winning the Western Region championship, and started that season in the second division. Under historic president, it spent a few years as a mid-table club in that division, with even threat of relegation in 1950, avoided on the last game only.

Results improved from 1951 onwards, and the club just missed out on promotion in 1952, finishing 4th, under respected coach Émile Veinante. His successor Anton Raab was able to recruit more prestigious players, including Dutch stars Gerrit Vreken and Jan van Geen, but despite this, the club stagnated again. In 1960, president Marcel Saupin selected the young and promising amateur coach José Arribas. He set up a 4-2-4 instead of the then traditional 4 banks of players.

His system showed promise but results were not forthcoming right away: placings read 11th, 6th in his first 2 seasons, and finally 2nd in 1962, having led the second division for the first half of the season. In that time, the club took part in the short-lived Anglo-French-Scottish cup, losing 71 to Liverpool FC. José Arribas and Nantes found their place in the top division right away and finished 8th in their first season. The following season was even better: the club becomes French champions, and their star striker Jacky Simon was the league's top goalscorer and became the first Nantes player to earn an international cap.

The club also won the French League Cup. In 1965, the club confirmed its place at the top and won the league again. Best defence (36 goals conceded), best attack (84 goals scored), Philippe Gondet ended the season as the league's top goalscorer with 36 goals in 37 games.

Did You Know?

The club's colours of yellow and green come from the jockey of founder Jean Le Guillou's racehorse Ali Pacha.
The club's training complex, opened in 1978, is named after former coach José Arribas.