Football Club de Nantes , commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes ( French: [nɑ̃t] ⓘ ; Breton : Naoned [ˈnãwnət] ; Gallo : Naunnt ), is a French professional football club based in Nantes in Pays de la Loire . The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, through a merger of five smaller local clubs based in the city. From 1992 to 2007, the club was referred to as FC Nantes Atlantique before reverting to its current name at the start of the 2007–08 season . Nantes will compete in the Ligue 2 , following relegation from the Ligue 1 . Nantes is one of the most successful clubs in French football , having won eight Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France wins and attained one Coupe de la Ligue victory.
