Nantes sack Michel Der Zakarian after 54 days following three straight defeats

Nantes have sacked Michel Der Zakarian after only 54 days in charge and three matches in Ligue 2, with the French club’s board acting because of a poor run of results, according to L’Equipe.

Der Zakarian’s entire spell produced three defeats. Nantes began with a 1-0 loss to Red Star before being beaten 2-1 by Laval in their second match.

Their most recent result was the heaviest setback, a 5-2 defeat by Rodez. The club are expected to appoint Gregory Poirier as Der Zakarian’s successor for the next stage of the season.

The decision continues a period of instability in the Nantes dugout. Since 2020, the club have gone through a succession of managers, with several departures coming after relatively short spells in charge.

Raymond Domenech held the position for 46 days between December 2020 and February 2021 and managed only eight matches.

Pierre Aristouy then took over and remained in the job for 204 days, overseeing 17 games before he was dismissed in November 2023. Jocelyn Gourvennec was appointed in his place.

Gourvenec’s tenure lasted just 109 days, during which he took charge of 15 matches, before Antoine Kombouare returned to lead the team.

The same pattern was repeated last season. Luis Castro left in December 2025 after 15 matches, while Ahmed Kendouci remained for about three months. Vahid Halilhodzic then took charge in March 2026.

Der Zakarian’s time at Nantes was shorter still. He lasted 54 days and was in charge for only three matches, all of which ended in defeat.

Egypt international Mostafa Mohamed was absent from all three of those games and was not included in the Nantes squad for any of them.

The striker has since returned to training with Nantes after previously failing to attend the rehabilitation programme arranged as part of his preparations for the new season. He has joined team training and has also completed individual sessions as he works towards the campaign ahead.

Mostafa Mohamed has one year remaining on his Nantes contract, which is due to expire in the summer of 2027.

Nantes signed the forward from Galatasaray for a reported fee of 6.5m euros. Since arriving three years ago, he has made 136 appearances for the club and scored 29 goals.