Kombouaré off to a winning start with new club as Paris FC beats Nice. Marseille hosts rival Lyon
PARIS (AP) — Veteran coach Antoine Kombouaré got off to a winning start with his latest club as Paris FC picked up a much-needed 1-0 home win against Nice on Sunday.
The 62-year-old former defender is at his 10th club as coach, with Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Nantes among his former teams. He was hired last Sunday. Four years ago, Kombouaré saved Nantes from relegation and won the French Cup.
Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi scored midway through the first half for Paris FC, which was promoted last season and moved up to 14th place in Ligue 1, with Nice dropping to 15th.
Veteran striker Ciro Immobile, the Italian league’s top scorer in the 2019-2020 season with Lazio, is still seeking his first goal for Paris FC after joining during the winter transfer window.
Later Sunday, fourth-placed Marseille hosted third-placed Lyon, which saw its 13-game winning run ended last weekend. Five points separated the teams before kickoff.
No Lyon fans were allowed at Stade Velodrome due to the risk of fan violence. There have been violent clashes between rival fans in previous seasons.
The last time visiting fans were allowed at the fixture was in late 2023, when the Lyon team bus was attacked and then-coach Fabio Grosso suffered a head injury.
In Sunday’s other matches, Lorient faced Auxerre; rock-bottom Metz hosted Brest, and Lille took on struggling Nantes.
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