FC Nantes concluded its match against Stade de Reims with a score of 0-0, but the real final was played in the stands of Beaujoire. The Brigade Loire, a group of ultras from Nantes, took the opportunity to express its dissatisfaction with the proposed takeover of the club by investor Paulo Tavares and to demand the sale of the club to a “healthy” buyer.
For several years, Nantes supporters have expressed their doubts about the viability of the Tavares project, which acquired the club in 2023. The return of the Loire Brigade to Beaujoire was marked by the installation of banners and tifos which denounced the current situation. From the start of the match, a banner was displayed against the “Kita”, the Reims supporters group, with the message “Another stone in your shoe”. This provocation was followed by a large tifo displaying the “BL 99” logo, recalling the date of creation of the ultra group.
During the meeting, the ultras continued to voice their opposition to Tavares' project. A new banner was displayed, bearing the words “Socpresse, Kita… After 25 years of wandering, we want to turn the page, not rewrite the same story. FC Nantes deserves a healthy buyer! ". These displays show the frustration of supporters in the face of what they perceive as a continuation of the financial and sporting problems which have marked the club over the last decade.
At the end of the match, the Loire Brigade displayed a final banner, more explicit than the previous ones, with the slogan “FC Nantes must be sold!” ". This final statement sums up the ultras' call for radical decision-making regarding the direction of the club. Supporters want the club to be sold to an investor who can stabilize the finances and put the club back on the path to success.
While the match ended scoreless, the outcome for FC Nantes remains uncertain. The club's leaders will have to respond to the demands of the Loire Brigade and the expectations of the community of supporters. The next steps could include discussions on a possible buyout, the establishment of a governance committee or the search for an external buyer. The club will also have to manage media pressure and fan expectations to prevent the situation from worsening further.