The Violets traveled to Nantes on Sunday, May 17 for Carles Martinez Novell’s last game as TFC coach. The Nantes team had already been relegated from Ligue 1, so Toulouse’s goal was to finish the season with a satisfying victory. However, the match took a drastic turn in the 22nd minute when Nantes supporters invaded the field, leading to the game being permanently suspended.
Finishing on a high note. TFC’s visit to the Beaujoire stadium on May 17 to face FC Nantes marked the end of their season. This match, in the midst of a Ligue 1 multiplex with high stakes, was also Carles Martinez Novell’s final game after three complete years coaching the Occitan club.
The Toulouse team, currently tenth in the French championship, could not drop below eleventh place. A draw would secure their position, and depending on Lorient’s result, they could hope to surpass them in the first half of the standings. On the other hand, Nantes had gone nine matches without a win in their last ten games, with their only success being against OM. They were coming off a narrow defeat against RC Lens.
With two impressive victories against Strasbourg and Lyon at the Stadium, Toulouse was hoping to finish the season strongly and continue this momentum to give their coach a fitting farewell. The lineup chosen by the Spanish coach for this match was: Restes – Sidibé – McKenzie – Koumbassa – Nicolaisen – Methalie – Casseres – Diop – Hidalgo – Emersonn – Gboho.
The focus shifted away from sports when Nantes ultras, presumably linked to the Brigade Loire group, stormed the field in protest against the club’s leadership. The game was immediately stopped, players went back to the dressing room amidst chaos, and the Nantes coach, held back by his staff, tried to calm the situation. After intervention by law enforcement and half an hour of uncertainty, the decision was made, in the interest of safety, not to resume the match.
