Of the 7,382 clubs involved at the start, there are only four left: defending champion Nantes must repel the threat from Lyon, Wednesday in the semi-final of the Coupe de France, to find the Stade de France, against Annecy (L2) or Toulouse, opposed Thursday. The last four of the “Old Lady”, for its 106th edition, opens on Wednesday (9:10 p.m.) with a duel between FC Nantes by Antoine Kombouaré, still groggy from the slap inflicted by Reims (3-0) on Sunday, and Olympique Lyonnais of his friend Laurent Blanc, who fell for Paris SG (1-0) at the end of the weekend.
It’s already a “small Coupe de France final”, according to the formula of Kombouaré, who hopes to see his Canaries prove their “ability to bounce back very quickly”, in addition to Beaujoire. The Yellow and Green would like to take their loyal and restless supporters back to the Stade de France on April 29 for a second consecutive final after the one won in May against OGC Nice.
A double already achieved
The performance would not be unprecedented in the history of the Nantes club. In 1999 and 2000, the team led by Mickaël Landreau had reached the last step and achieved a double, with finals won against Sedan then Calais. OL nevertheless appears to be a big obstacle for Nantes residents who are struggling in the league, only four points ahead of the relegation zone.
In Ligue 1, the Lyonnais got back on their feet by winning at the Parc des Princes on Sunday against Mbappé and others, with a goal from young Bradley Barcola, the new 20-year-old French Espoir international. “I don’t know if it’s an ideal preparation, tomorrow’s score will tell us,” Laurent Blanc tempered Tuesday in front of the press. In any case, it will be necessary “to demonstrate the same things as in Paris (…) at the level of the state of mind and the determination”, he said.
Winning the Coupe de France would bring back good memories to the former defender and coach of the Blues, crowned both as a player (in 1990 with Montpellier, in 1996 with Auxerre) and as a coach (in 2015 and 2016 with PSG). Above all, this would allow OL to play in the Europa League, as in 2021/2022 (elimination in the quarter-finals), after a year without European competition. A qualification via the championship, where Lyon is in ninth place, seems unlikely.
Annecy for the feat
Evolving on the continental scene is also a dream that drives the two “outsiders” of the Coupe de France, Annecy and Toulouse, whose presence in the semi-finals is already a surprise in itself. The Toulousains, thirteenth in Ligue 1, are obviously favorites for the duel scheduled for Thursday (8:45 p.m.) at the Annecy Sports Park, against Haut-Savoyards who are very concerned about their maintenance in Ligue 2.
FC Annecy, entangled in a black series in the league (four defeats and a draw in five matches), has nevertheless proven that it can hit hard at times, such as in the quarter-finals against Olympique de Marseille (2-2 , 7-6 tabs). Since the first edition in 1917/1918, only two clubs playing in the second division have won the Coupe de France: Le Havre, in 1959, and Guingamp, in 2009.