Ahmed Kantari appointed head coach of Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes after dismissal of Luís Castro

Ahmed Kantari has been appointed head coach of Nantes until the end of the season following the dismissal of Luís Castro.

Kantari, a 40-year-old former Morocco international, knows the Loire-Atlantique club well, having previously worked as an assistant under former head coach Antoine Kombouaré.

Kantari takes up the reins on the eve of the derby de l’ouest against Angers, with perennial strugglers Nantes one place off the foot of Ligue 1 following a difficult start to the season under Castro that brought just two wins in 15 games.

What Nantes said about the dismissal of Luís Castro

“FC Nantes has announced the end of Luís Castro’s tenure as head coach of the first team,” read a club statement. “He is replaced by Ahmed Kantari until the end of the season. 

“FC Nantes thanks Luís Castro and his staff for their professionalism and daily dedication. The club wishes them all the best for the future.”

The club expressed hope that Kantare would be able to utilise the experience he gained under Kombouaré over the first five months of this year as “an asset in quickly finding the keys to FC Nantes’ resurgence”.

Kantare will be supported by two assistants, Eric Blahic and Stéphane Mangione, as well as physical trainer Gilles Marambaud. Goalkeeping coach Faouzi Amzal will retain his position.

Castro’s 25-week tenure came to an end on Wednesday afternoon, when the Portuguese was dismissed together with fellow countrymen José Costa, Rui Cunha, Jorge Cordeiro and Francisco Calvete, his assistants.

Castro, who led Dunkerque to the semi-finals of the Ligue 2 playoffs and the Coupe de France last season, becomes the 22nd managerial casualty since Polish businessman Waldemar Kita acquired the club in the summer of 2007. 

How Luís Castro denied strained relations with the Nantes board

His final match in charge at Stade de la Beaujoire was Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Ligue 1 leaders Lens, following which rumours of strained relations with the club hierarchy intensified. But while Castro has bemoaned a lack of depth in his squad, he denied suggestions that he at what would prove his final press conference on Wednesday.

“I’m not happy because I think you should call me to ask questions,” Castro told journalists. “I respect everyone as a person and I respect your work. But when you say I don’t communicate with management, that’s not true, because that is part of my principles. 

“I don’t know why you write that, it’s not true. If you find someone I don’t talk to here or who I don’t answer calls from, I’ll pay for your dinner.”