Nantes Appoint Portuguese Luis Castro New Manager

Nantes have appointed Portuguese coach Luis Castro as their new manager on a two-year contract with an option for a third year. Castro previously managed Ligue 2 side Dunkerque, where he led the team to the Coupe de France semi-finals, nearly defeating Paris Saint-Germain before losing 4-2, and also reached the promotion playoffs. He began his senior managerial career at Greek club Panetolikos in 2019 and later managed Benfica's youth and reserve teams. Nantes dismissed Antoine Kombouare after narrowly avoiding relegation last season and are looking to Castro to bring stability and improved performance to the club. Castro had also been linked to a move to Brazilian club Botafogo earlier in the year. Nantes, an eight-time French champion, has not won the league title since 2001, with their latest major trophy being the 2022 French Cup under Kombouare.