NANTES, France (AP) — Nantes fired coach Antoine Kombouaré on Tuesday after a difficult season where the club battled to stay in Ligue 1. Nantesfinished 13thin the 18-team league and top-flight survival was not certain until the final round. "FC Nantes announces the end of its collaboration with Antoine Kombouaré, head coach of the professional team,"Nantes posted on X. "The club sincerely thanks Antoine Kombouaré and his staff for their professionalism and dedication." The 61-year-old Kombouaré had one year left on his contract. He remains a popular figure at the club, having saved it from relegation in 2021 andwinning the French Cup in 2022— the club's first trophy in 21 years. Kombouaré had a difficult relationship withNantes president Waldemir Kita, who fired him in 2023 and re-hired him amid another relegation scrap the following year. Kombouaré was part of the Nantes team when the club's La Beaujoire stadium opened in 1984, and played 177 games as a rugged defender for Nantes, which has won eight league titles. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
