‘The players need to move their asses” – Under pressure Michel Der Zakarian lambasts Nantes after third consecutive Ligue 2 loss | OneFootball

The wheels have already come off Nantes’ season after only three games into this Ligue 2 campaign. The relegated Ligue 1 side sit bottom of the second-tier after a third consecutive league loss, this time at home at the hands of Rodez (5-2). Michel Der Zakarian’s men raced to a 1-0 lead that they went on to surrender. But they were ahead at the break (2-1). Nantes then conceded four goals from four Rodez shots on target in the second half, which further weakens Der Zakarian’s future.

The 63-year-old Der Zakarian said he was “ashamed” of Nantes’ second half performance, labelling Nantes’ defensive showing as “disastrous“. “How can we give up like that after what we did in the first half? We sabotaged ourselves.” Nantes head coach doubled down on criticizing his own players, citing that too many one of them wanted to leave.

Michel Der Zakarian made it sound like his own personal future was not on his mind, saying that he’d retire should Nantes’ owners decide to sack him. “If they’re not happy with my work, they’ll fire me and that’s it! But I’ll also speak up, and not just to the executives, because they took me back and gave me the opportunity to return to Nantes. But the players, they need to move their asses too! This can’t go on!” 

GFFN | Bastien Cheval