FC Nantes have been plunged into an unexpected and awkward situation after defensive midfielder Junior Mwanga publicly announced his departure from the club—despite the club insisting his loan deal remains in place until the end of the season.

On Saturday afternoon, Mwanga, who is on loan from Strasbourg, posted a message on his Instagram story thanking Nantes and wishing the club well for the future.

The post immediately raised eyebrows, as the Ligue 1 side had not sanctioned any contract termination and were reportedly unaware of any such decision.

Following Nantes’ 2-1 defeat away to Lorient, head coach Ahmed Kantari addressed the situation with visible frustration.

“Everyone is responsible for their words. The club has not released any statement. If players decide on their own to leave, that does not concern me,” Kantari said.

Mwanga was left out of the matchday squad for what the coach described as purely sporting reasons. Kantari did not hide his dissatisfaction with the midfielder’s recent performances, suggesting they had fallen well below expectations.

However, the Nantes boss was keen not to let the controversy overshadow the broader issues affecting his team. The defeat leaves Nantes 16th in the Ligue 1 standings—currently in the relegation play-off position—and six points adrift of safety.

Despite the loss, Kantari found positives in his side’s display. Nantes showed resilience by fighting back to make it 1-1 with 15 minutes remaining, only to concede a late winner in the 89th minute. A potential equaliser in stoppage time was later ruled out for offside.

“I feel a lot of frustration,” Kantari admitted. “But I liked the mindset of my players and the quality of football we showed in the second half.”

The coach noted that Nantes created significantly more chances than Lorient, enjoyed greater presence in the penalty area, and dominated possession, but lacked the clinical edge required to secure points.

Kantari remains optimistic that better days lie ahead, pointing to new signings and players returning from injury as reasons for encouragement.

“With the recruits and the returns from injury, the team now has a completely different face,” he concluded.