Nantes

Foundation

The club was founded in 1943. Among the founding businessmen was the builder Jean Le Guillou, whose racehorse Ali Pacha had a jockey who wore yellow and green, colours that have since been represented on the FC Nantes jersey.

The first match played by Nantes as a professional team took place at the Stade Olympique de Colombes against CA Paris, where Nantes triumphed 2–0. The first home match was a defeat of the same score against Troyes. The club finished fifth at the end of this first season following which the club's manager Aimé Nuic left the club following a dispute, and was succeeded by Antoine Raab, who took over in a player-coach role. After winning 16 consecutive matches, Nantes lost 9–0 to Sochaux.

The club became a professional football club in 1945 after winning the Western Region championship, and started that season in the second division. Under historic president Marcel Saupin, it spent a few years as a mid-table club in that division, with even threat of relegation in 1950, avoided on the last game only.

The 1950s

Results improved from 1951 onwards, and the club just missed out on promotion in 1952, finishing 4th, under respected coach Émile Veinante. His successor Anton Raab was able to recruit more prestigious players, including Dutch stars Gerrit Vreken and Jan van Geen, but despite this, the club stagnated again. A number of coaches followed, but the club did not progress, and promising early starts to seasons often petered out by their ends.

In 1960, president Marcel Saupin selected the young and promising amateur coach José Arribas. He was credited with revolutionising the team's game, insisting on team-based, less individual play, and an attack-oriented game. He set up a 4-2-4 instead of the then traditional 4 banks of players. His system showed promise but results were not forthcoming right away: placings read 11th, 6th in his first 2 seasons, and finally 2nd in 1962, having led the second division for the first half of the season. In that time, the club took part in the short-lived Anglo-French-Scottish cup, losing 71 to Liverpool FC.

Life in the top division - the José Arribas years (1963 to 1976)

José Arribas and Nantes found their place in the top division right away and finished 8th in their first season. The following season was even better: the club becomes French champions, and their star striker Jacky Simon was the league's top goalscorer and became the first Nantes player to earn an international cap. The club also won the French League Cup.

In 1965, the club confirmed its place at the top and won the league again. Best defence (36 goals conceded), best attack (84 goals scored), Philippe Gondet ended the season as the league's top goalscorer with 36 goals in 37 games. French success did not lead to European success however, and Nantes lost their first-round European Cup game to Partizan Belgrade, who went on to reach the final. At the end of that season, three Nantes players (De Michèle, Gondet and Budzynski) were part of the French team playing the World Cup in England.

The late 60s and early 70s were not stellar years for the club, typically ending between the 10th and 7th place in the league. They made the French Cup final in 1970 but were routed by Saint-Etienne 5–0. Coach José Arribas's place was not under threat however, being very popular with players and fans alike. In parallel, the club worked hard behind the scene to modernise its structures and to develop its recruitment and player academy. Ex-players Jean-Claude Suaudeau and Robert Budzynski joined the coaching and recruitment team, and were tasked with deploying the club's playing philosophy at all levels of the club's teams. Young players such as Patrice Rio, allied with experienced Argentinians Ángel Marcos and Hugo Bargas, as well as Bayern Munich star Erich Maas enabled the club to turn its fortunes around and win the league in 1973. They also made the French Cup final but lost to Lyon.

The club was unable to break its European jinx: Danish amateur club Vejle eliminated Nantes in the first round of the European Cup. French league results were good, except the recurring disappointing European results of high-flying club Saint-Etienne. By 1976, the club and José Arribas finally parted ways after 13 years.

Jean Vincent and Jean-Claude Suaudeau (1976 to 1988)

New coach Jean Vincent was tasked with bringing more success in both domestic and European cups. He started by shuffling the players, putting aside a few stars and starting young academy players such as Loic Amisse, Eric Pécout and Bruno Baronchelli. Still using a very watchable system of play, the team won the league in 1977, for the fourth time in its history. In 1978, the team finished followed Monaco but European disappointments continued. That year, the club opened its state-of-the-art training complex La Jonelière (since renamed José Arribas Sporting Centre), the most advanced in France at the time.

In 1979, when Jean-Claude Suaudeau was made assistant manager, this promotion saw the club thrive, winning the French Cup, its first although finishing 2nd in the league. And finally in Europe, the club enjoyed some success, reaching the semi-finals of the Cup Winners Cup competition where they lost to Spanish club Valencia. With Argentinian star player Enzo Trossero, and young up-and-coming academy players José Touré and William Ayache, the club maintained 92 games unbeaten at home.