Vahid Halilhodzic: Nantes' record-breaking manager
FC Nantes clearly like to put their trust in experienced managers. Having previously hired Raymond Domenech at 69 years old and Claudio Ranieri at 66 years old, the executives have chosen another senior manager to see out the rest of the campaign, as the club look to secure their place in Ligue 1 McDonald's.
Nantes' new manager, Vahid Halilhodzic, celebrated his 73rd birthday last October. Against Strasbourg on Sunday, he became the oldest manager to sit on the bench of a Ligue 1 McDonald's club.
On Sunday, Halilhodzic became the fourth manager over the age of 70 to manage in Ligue 1 McDonald's. If we look at the managers in place this season, "Coach Vahid" is almost 10 years older than the next oldest manager, Nice's Claude Puel (64 years old). The average age of a manager in the league this year is 53 years old.
Nantes behind Lorient and paris FC
Even if Nantes have just appointed the oldest manager in their history, Paris FC recently did the same with Antoine Kombouaré. Another manager currently in their post is also the oldest to manage their club in Ligue 1 McDonald's: Lorient's Olivier Pantaloni.
A Nantes and PSG player back in the 1980s, Halilhodzic then went on to hold 15 managerial positions, either with clubs or national teams. His last experience was with the Morocco national team, which the Bosnian managed for three years, until August 2022.
For the first time in his career, he is back in the dugout of a club that he has already managed. His first stint in charge of Nantes was back in the 2018/19 season. Having arrived in October with the club 19th and second from bottom of the table, he helped the club climb out of relegation trouble. They finished in a comfortable 11th place that season.
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>> Panichelli brace secures Strasbourg win on Halilhodzic's return as Nantes manager
