Christian Gourcuff, 64, becomes the new coach of FC Nantes, where he takes over from Vahid Halilhodzic, who resigned earlier this month, the club said in a statement on Thursday.
Back in France after a freelance in Qatar
"Free since his last experience at Al-Gharafa SC, Qatari training with which he won the QSL Cup last winter, Christian Gourcuff has decided to engage with FC Nantes, after several missed opportunities between the two parties" says the club. The Breton coach is familiar with Ligue 1. After the Stade Rennais (2001-2002 then 2016-2017), he trained for a long time at FC Lorient, from 1991 to 2001, then from 2003 to 2014. Quoted in the press release, the President of the Nantes club, Waldemar Kita, felt that his new coach was "one of the best technicians in France". "He's a coach I've wanted for years," he says.
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Since the departure of Halilhodzic at the end of last week, the team is preparing under the responsibility of Patrick Collot and Cyril Moine, the two assistants of the Franco-Bosnian coach. Vahid Halilhodzic said goodbye to the Canaries last Friday, after leading at the Beaujoire stadium his last match on the bench of FC Nantes, a friendly match against Genoa.