Raymond Domenech on his short-lived Nantes spell: “I’m one of the people who saved the club.” | OneFootball

Speaking to France Info concerning his short-lived stint at Nantes last season, Raymond Domenech looked back on his first job since the 2010 World Cup with a positive outlook. Concluding that the spell had been a positive experience, the 69-year-old went as far as placing himself among those who had “saved” the club.

The former France national team coach, who returned to club management after an 18-year absence, spent 46 days in charge of Les Canaris, winning none of his seven games. With the club lingering in 18th place, Domenech was sacked and replaced by Antoine Kombouaré, who guided the club to safety after winning the relegation play-off.

“What I went through with the players, for me, was really a great experience. I know that every time, people go and say that it was “traumatising” – they read the situation in terms of image and pride. But I’ve been above all of that for a while now. […] There’s a whole train wagon of managers who have had stints where they didn’t succeed.”

“I think that what we put into place helped a bit to ease that climate of uncertainty and worry, and confidence to the players. I’m one of the people who saved Nantes as well. I know people will react to that, and say “he’s crazy”, but I don’t care.”

“I understand the president’s position, he gave in to the panic. At that point, you ask yourself, what’s going to happen? You change, you bring in someone else. That’s how it is these days, you react in the moment. It’s a shame that the president hadn’t realised that with a bit more time, we would have been able to do something.”