Colin Abgrall 9:00 p.m., May 07, 2022
Current owner and president of FC Nantes, in office since 2007, Waldemar Kita is the exceptional guest of Europe 1 Sport.
The Franco-Polish businessman answered questions from journalist and editorialist Jacques Vendroux on Saturday.
An interview to be found in full in Europe 1 Sport, presented by Lionel Rosso.
EXCLUSIVE
While FC Nantes will try to lift the Coupe de France this Saturday evening at the Stade de France against OGC Nice, a trophy that has been leaking from the Canaries since 2000, the 69-year-old businessman granted an exclusive interview with Europe 1. Waldemar Kita returns in particular to the rumors of the sale of the club, to his investments and discusses the future of his coach, Antoine Kombouaré, who arrived during the 2020-2021 season.
How does he see the final against OGC Nice?
"I don't want to jinx myself"
"We played Nice twice. Each time we lost. I'm not going to quote the proverb because I don't want to jinx myself. I see a fairly open game. I see the game also of two coaches, two of the best coaches in France. I also see a very warm public, there are a lot of people from Nantes who are there, waiting for that moment. It would make me happy in a way, that they are rewarded by this final and may the match go as well as possible. I'm very happy for all the people of Nantes. I'm very happy for the club. I'm very happy for Antoine (Kombouaré) but also for the players who have to deliver something exceptional."
On his personal investments in the club: "It's not the money that counts"
"No one cares, it's not the money that counts. What counts in a sports club is above all the results and the results, today we don't have any and yet we invest a lot of money. We invested a lot of energy. We certainly made mistakes but also good things."
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Does he still want to sell FC Nantes?
“I am ready to leave my place”
"No, not at all. They speak for me and these people are provocateurs. I think it's a very serious, professional adventure, and not taken lightly compared to all that we have given. If anyone one is capable of doing much better, I'm ready to give up my place. There's no problem. You don't have to do anything and everything either."
The future of Antoine Kombouaré: "We have given a lot of resources"
"He has a one-year contract, I'll let you know. He's very good here, he said it. We're very happy. Now, I think we'll finish the championship, we also have to be organized and have a certain work discipline. It will also be necessary to make a sporting, logical and financial analysis. I think that this year, we have given a lot of means to the sportsman so that he succeeds. And I am happy that they arrived finally."
Who are the coaches he liked the most?
“I try to take everything that is positive”
"What is very important is to value people as a whole, because everyone has a vision, their way of working. And there are negative things, there are positive things. Me, I try to take all that is positive from all these people, because I think that every man has something positive. I always have a rule, a mentality that must put people in value and not at all demean."