FC Nantes could be heading for a change of ownership, but also a major transformation in terms of its image. With Waldemar Kita reportedly considering several offers to sell the club, the project led by Paulo Tavares is beginning to take shape. One of the ideas would be to rely on high-profile figures to restore prestige to Les Canaris, with Marcelo potentially becoming the face of the project.
The sale of FC Nantes has now become a very concrete possibility. Three takeover proposals are reportedly on Waldemar Kita’s table and, according to L’Équipe, the bid led by Paulo Tavares, a former football intermediary turned businessman and president of Phenix Sport Invest, currently has a serious chance of succeeding. Tavares had previously attempted to become involved in the takeover of AS Saint-Étienne.
Marcelo Could Become the Face of a New FC Nantes Project
One name in particular has attracted plenty of attention: Marcelo. In a working document presented to potential investors, Tavares is reportedly considering making the former Real Madrid left-back an ambassador for FC Nantes. A five-time Champions League winner and one of the biggest names in Brazilian football, Marcelo would immediately bring international exposure to the project. His role would not be on the pitch, but would instead focus on the club’s image, profile and potentially its international development. The title of the document presented to investors, “The Race for the Stars,” has also fuelled speculation that the project could involve several well-known personalities.
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Marcelo is not the only name linked with the proposed takeover. Former PSG and Nantes player Fabrice Pancrate has reportedly helped search for potential investors, while Cyril Linette, the former chief executive of L’Équipe and the PMU and a former Canal+ executive, could join a strategic council or even the board of directors. Charles Kashema, a former basketball player who moved into communications, has also been mentioned as a possible executive director. Eurosport executive Géraldine Pons was reportedly approached about becoming the club’s chief executive, although that option is no longer believed to be under consideration. For now, however, no other international football superstar of Marcelo’s stature has been seriously linked with the project, and these names should be viewed as potential candidates or people approached during the planning stage rather than members of a confirmed management team.
Before Marcelo can become an ambassador for Les Canaris, however, the takeover itself must be completed, and that could prove difficult. Reports surrounding the negotiations suggest Tavares is offering less than €50 million for FC Nantes, while the Kita family is seeking around €95 million. The gap remains considerable and the positions would need to move significantly for a sale to take place. Marcelo, Pancrate, Linette and Kashema therefore remain names associated with a project still under construction, but the presence of the Real Madrid legend in documents shown to investors underlines the stated ambition: to give FC Nantes a new identity and put the club back in the spotlight.
