With the Brigade Loire set to return to the stands, Nantes face an unbeaten Reims side on Saturday afternoon while uncertainty over the club’s ownership hangs heavily over La Beaujoire.
The Ligue 1 news
FC Nantes could change hands this autumn, with Waldemar Kita open to offers and a proposed takeover now moving through the required approval process.
Paulo Tavares, the entrepreneur and former agent behind Phenix Sports Invest, is leading a bid alongside partners and investors. A preliminary sale agreement was signed on 29 September for a deal valued at close to €100 million before add-ons.
Several versions of the proposed financing have circulated. One structure includes €57 million from a Dubai investment fund through Luxembourg and a further €38 million linked to Portuguese agent Luis Sousa, producing a €95 million total before bonuses.
Other elements reportedly under discussion include a €30 million loan through the Phenix holding company and vendor financing of around €20 million from Kita, which would ultimately be repaid by the club.
The proposed arrangement would also leave the current owner with the staggered payments connected to Matthis Abline’s €30 million move to Monaco and a possible future Tylel Tati transfer. A further bonus estimated between €20 million and €25 million would be due should Nantes reach Ligue 1.
Tavares commissioned an audit of the club, but did not respond on Friday when approached about the project.
The takeover must now clear the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog. Its scrutiny has been strengthened since the law on the organisation, management and financing of professional sport was adopted on 3 August. The body can approve or refuse the proposed change of ownership in the coming weeks.
There is considerable concern locally about the bid. The Brigade Loire stated on 1 October that Nantes need new ownership, but warned that change must not mean replacing one damaging situation with another. The supporters’ group questioned both the seriousness of the project and its financial foundations.
Nantes’ social and economic committee also delivered a unanimous negative opinion on Tuesday. It cited fears over unfair, serious and irreversible consequences for staff employment, the company’s future and the long-term outlook for FC Nantes.
The Nantes Métropole, through vice-president for sport and sporting facilities Emmanuel Terrien, said it was closely following the situation. While stressing that the club is a private company and that the authority would not select its future owner, Terrien said it would meet any buyer to discuss sporting plans and ambitions.
Reims visit as Nantes seek a climb
Amid the boardroom tension, Grégory Poirier’s side have a match to chase on Saturday at 14:00. Nantes begin the eighth Ligue 2 weekend in 15th place, three points behind fifth-placed Metz, and welcome a Reims team yet to lose this season.
The Canaries are aiming to build on their 2-1 win at Boulogne-sur-Mer on 19 September, a late and valuable result in their effort to move up the table before November’s international break.
Poirier said on Thursday that he remained largely insulated from the discussions surrounding the club. His focus is on a squad he expects to become more coherent, with promotion to Ligue 1 still the objective.
