Nantes vs. Montpellier Preview: A Clash of Veteran Coaches

Der Zakarian began his coaching career in 1998, managing Montpellier C for the 1998-99 season. Afterward, the 61-year-old transitioned to an assistant coach and held this role from 1999 to 2006.

Following the 2005-2006 season, Der Zakarian left Montpellier for Nantes, where he was an assistant during the 2006-07 season and became manager of Les Canaris in February 2007.

After Nantes was relegated from Ligue 1 following the 2006-07 season, Der Zakarian quickly brought them back to France's top flight, finishing second in Ligue 2 during the 2007-08 campaign.

His tenure with Nantes ended in August 2008, three games into the 2008-09 season. It wouldn't take long for Der Zakarian to find his next coaching gig as he succeeded Didier Ollé-Nicolle at Ligue 2 club Clermont.

It was with Clermont that Der Zakarian started to experience success as a coach. He led the club to respective finishes of sixth, seventh, and fifth in his three seasons and this impressive run with Les Lanciers didn't go unnoticed as Nantes would hire him for a second stint.

Der Zakarian went on to coach Nantes from 2012 to 2016 and left for a brief stint with Stade de Reims. Afterward, he landed the Montpellier managerial job, spending five years on their sidelines. He left in 2021, becoming Stade Brestois' manager, but he was let go in October 2022.

Once his stint with Brest ended, Der Zakarian returned to Montpellier in 2023 and helped them avoid relegation last season. Kombouaré has a story similar to Der Zakarian's, having been a well-traveled manager in French football.

Kombouaré began coaching in 1999, coaching Paris Saint-Germain B until 2003 and leaving to coach Strasbourg for the 2003-04 season. The big break for the 60-year-old came when he managed Valenciennes, spending five years on their sidelines where he won Ligue 2 during the 2005-06 season.

After building his coaching credentials, Kombouaré left Valenciennes to take the PSG job and managed the capital club from 2009 to 2011. During his three years in Paris, he won the Coupe de France in 2010 and was the runner-up in 2011.

Following the end of his PSG tenure, Kombouaré coached several French clubs, including RC Lens, Guingamp, Dijon, and Toulouse. Kombouaré would again experience success winning another trophy when he took over the Nantes job in 2021, winning the Coupe de France in 2022 for the second time as a manager.

Nantes reached a second straight domestic cup final in 2023 but fell in the final. After parting ways with Nantes in 2023, he returned to the club in 2024 and helped them avoid relegation last season. The reason why he returned was quite simple as he said to the media at his press conference in March.

“I'm diving back in because it's Nantes. I stayed there for two years. I experienced some great emotions there.”

Both of these coaches faced, in the last campaign, challenging situations and kept their squads in Ligue 1. Now, they have a clean slate and will look to make the most of their opportunity this season.

Nantes have won one of its first two matches while Montpellier have yet to win this campaign, having lost one match and drawn the other. This match will be crucial as both teams look to head into the international break riding positive momentum. 

READ MORE:

>>Season Preview #9: Montpellier HSC
>>Season Preview #11: FC Nantes