Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes part ways with coach Gourvennec

French Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes sacked coach Jocelyn Gourvennec on Sunday, a source close to the club told AFP, less than 24 hours after a 3-1 home loss to Strasbourg left them mired in relegation trouble.

Gourvennec is expected to be replaced by Antoine Kombouare, who will return for a second spell in charge, less than a year after he was fired by the eight-time French champions.

The 51-year-old Gourvennec, a former Nantes player, was only appointed in late November, when he replaced Pierre Aristouy with the club sitting 11th in Ligue 1 after 13 games.

Their form has deteriorated under Gourvennec, who has won only three and lost nine of his 13 league matches in charge.

Saturday's loss against Strasbourg was a third in a row and a seventh on the bounce at home in all competitions.

Nice miss chance to go third in Ligue 1 with defeat at Toulouse

Football

It left Nantes third from bottom, in the relegation play-off place.

Kombouare, 60, was the first Paris Saint-Germain coach following the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011, although he was soon dismissed to make way for Carlo Ancelotti.

A former PSG and Nantes defender, he took over at the Stade de la Beaujoire for the first time in February 2021 and steered them to safety before guiding them to victory in the French Cup the following year.

He took Nantes back to the French Cup final last season, but the Canaries lost 5-1 to Toulouse and he was sacked soon after.