Once contenders, now strugglers: Nantes face the drop

Nantes were not always the modest French side they are seen as today. They began the 21st century by winning the Division 1 title — as the top flight was then known — under Raynald Denoueix. Since then, their highest achievements have been a second- and third-place finish. They've also spent five seasons in Ligue 2.

In recent years, they've hovered around the lower mid-table, typically finishing between ninth and 14th. That's the image younger fans may have of the club — but history paints a very different picture. Nantes were once among the continent's best.

They reached the Champions League semi-finals against Juventus in 1995/96 and the Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals versus Valencia in 1980.

To put things into perspective - Nantes have as many French league titles as Monaco, one more than Olympique Lyonnais, and only one fewer than Olympique Marseille.

With eight championships to their name, they trail only Marseille, Saint-Etienne and PSG in the all-time list — and the Parisians didn't surpass them until 2022. Les Jaunes et Verts have also collected seven runners-up medals, four Coupes de France, three Trophees des Champions, and a Coupe de la Ligue.

Those glories, however, now seem distant. At present, Nantes sit just three points above the relegation zone, with four matches to go — five in their case, as they still have the postponed fixture against PSG to play.

They escaped Ligue 2 in 2013 and are desperate not to return. Still, the danger may not be as dire as it seems: after facing Luis Enrique's side, they are due to play four of the current bottom seven, excluding themselves.

Will history offer inspiration — or merely serve as a reminder of how far they've fallen?