Nantes defender Fabien Centonze: “It bothers me that we are in the Coupe de France Final and almost in the relegation zone.” | OneFootball

Nantes defender Fabien Centonze expressed his confusion over the team’s status as French Cup finalists and their fight for survival in the Ligue 1. After securing a controversial draw against Troyes, which brought about a refeering debate on the equalising goal, Nantes has now shifted focus to the French Cup final against Toulouse.

Despite being in their second consecutive final, Nantes is not in the best position in the Ligue 1 standings, as they are currently 16th, level on points (32) with Brest, who are in the relegation zone, and have not won any of their last nine league matches. Nantes coach Antoine Kombouaré has continuously stressed that “the survival of the club in the elite is more important than the French Cup.”

In an interview with RMC Sport, Centonze also expressed his disappointment over this ambivalent situation, saying, “When you reach this stage of the competition, it’s not by chance, it’s because you’ve had a good season, that’s the logic of things. But today, we’re in the final, and we’re almost in the relegation zone. I find that it doesn’t blend well, and that’s what bothers me a little bit. We’ll try to keep our focus for this match, and then we’ll have our minds on Brest.“

Four days after potentially winning another title at Stade de France, Nantes will face Brest, a direct competitor for their survival, in the 33rd round of the Ligue 1.

GFFN | George Boxall