FC Nantes' sale hinges on DNCG deadline of 14 October
FC Nantes' prospective new owners, led by investor Paulo Tavares, must file a comprehensive purchase dossier with the DNCG by 14 October, the regulator’s key deadline, as the €100 million sale agreed with current owner Waldemar Kita approaches finalisation and faces several financial and procedural hurdles.
Deal and DNCG requirements
At the end of September, an agreement of sale was signed between current owner Waldemar Kita and Phenix Sports Invest, the investment group led by Paulo Tavares. The transaction is valued at close to €100 million, excluding any bonuses. The deal marks the latest development in the intensifying sale saga of FC Nantes.
The DNCG has set a key deadline of 14 October for the prospective owners to submit a complete dossier. It requires a guarantee of €25 million to be blocked in a bank account, calculated on the club’s structural deficit over the past three seasons. In addition, the investors must provide source‑of‑funds documentation, outline their shareholding structure, present a three‑year financing plan and undergo an independent moral investigation.
Opposition and upcoming deadline
The club’s social and economic committee issued a unanimous adverse opinion, voicing concerns over job security and the reliability of the project. Although advisory, the opinion sends a negative signal to the Tavares camp and highlights the lack of consensus in Nantes.
Paulo Tavares now faces the dual task of meeting the DNCG’s financial demands and reassuring the various stakeholders of FC Nantes. For Waldemar Kita, who has led the Canaries for nearly twenty years, the sale could finally materialise if the conditions are satisfied.
Tavares’ team aims to file the required documents by Wednesday 14 October, after which the DNCG could schedule a hearing roughly ten days later, pending fulfilment of the pre‑conditions. The hearing date has not yet been confirmed, and the regulator retains the power to block the transaction if guarantees are deemed insufficient.
The coming days will determine whether the investors can satisfy the DNCG and complete the ownership change. Until then, the future of FC Nantes remains uncertain.