Club History
Full name: Football Club de Nantes
Nicknames: La Maison Jaune (The Yellow House), Les Canaris (The Canaries)
Short name: FCN or Nantes
Founded: 21 April 1943; 82 years ago
Ground: Stade de la Beaujoire
Capacity: 35,322
Owner: Waldemar Kita
President: Waldemar Kita
Head coach: Patrick Vieira
League: Ligue 1
2024–25: Ligue 1, 13th of 18
FC Nantes, founded in 1943, is one of France’s most storied football clubs, renowned for its distinctive “jeu à la nantaise” — a fluid, collective style emphasizing movement, passing, and intelligence over individualism. The club emerged from the merger of several smaller Nantes teams during World War II and quickly established itself in French football’s upper tiers.
Nantes earned promotion to Ligue 1 in 1963 and, under visionary manager José Arribas, revolutionized French football with their tactical approach. Arribas’s philosophy laid the foundation for decades of success, and his protégés, notably Jean-Claude Suaudeau and later Raynald Denoueix, continued the tradition. The club’s first golden era came in the 1960s and 1970s, winning Ligue 1 titles in 1965, 1966, 1973, and 1977, and developing a strong academy system that became central to its identity.
The 1980s saw another dominant period. Led by Suaudeau, Nantes won the 1983 and 1995 league titles, producing legends like Maxime Bossis, Patrice Loko, and Claude Makélélé. The 1994–95 side, playing exhilarating football, lost only one league game all season and remains one of the most admired French teams of the modern era.
Nantes also claimed four Coupe de France trophies (1979, 1999, 2000, 2022) and regularly competed in European competitions, though continental glory eluded them. The club’s famed youth academy continued to produce stars, including Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly, and Mickaël Landreau.
In the 2000s, financial instability and poor management led to relegations, breaking their record of 44 consecutive Ligue 1 seasons. Despite this, Nantes has maintained its strong cultural identity and loyal fan base. The 2022 Coupe de France triumph symbolized a revival of spirit for “Les Canaris,” a club deeply woven into French football history and tradition.