The Curious Journey of Uros Radakovic: The Summer Recruit No Longer Wanted by FC Nantes

The story began with a major hiccup. Uros Radakovic, signed from Sivasspor as he was nearing the end of his contract, quickly realized that playing time at FC Nantes would be limited. Just a month after his signing, doubts began to arise at La Jonelière. The 31-year-old Serbian defender didn’t showcase the expected level of performance. Besides conceding a penalty against Guingamp, he appeared shaky throughout the preparation matches, notably slow and hesitant in his interventions. The club had hoped to welcome an experienced player to replace Nicolas Pallois, but training sessions revealed significant gaps in his performance compared to others.

There are even discussions about letting him go as soon as possible. It’s early August, and the transfer window is still active. Despite interest from clubs in the Gulf region, the former U21 international remains in Nantes, watching the first league matches from the stands. Young talent Tylel Tati (17 years old), a revelation this season, has been preferred, along with fellow recruit Chidozie Awaziem (28 years). The only time these two couldn’t play together was when Junior Mwanga had to drop back to cover in central defense. “Uros is a player like everyone else. However, some are simply better,” explained Luis Castro during the summer.

Used as a Forward by Luis Castro

Radakovic must await his opportunity. His chance arrives when he’s called up for a match against Stade Rennais, resulting in a 2-2 draw at La Beaujoire. He came on in the 90th minute to add height on set pieces and played a crucial role in the equalizing goal during stoppage time by winning the ball from Hateboer. After sitting out the next two matches, he returned against Lille last weekend, increasing his playing time sevenfold when he entered the game in the 83rd minute as a substitute for defensive midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kwu. Although he couldn’t prevent a 0-2 defeat, Radakovic found himself in an unusual position… as a forward.

He positioned himself alongside El-Arabi, while Abline and Benhattab occupied the flanks. Luis Castro relied on his aerial ability to create danger in the box, especially as his team trailed by a goal. “When we were down 1-0, we had to take risks. I thought we could be stronger with two players up front for aerial play. Uros won two aerial duels and created space for others. We know he can win 80 to 90% of his aerial battles; he’s probably the best in our team at that,” explained the Portuguese manager after the loss.

A Well-Regarded Presence in the Locker Room

This tactical decision didn’t pan out, but Radakovic, familiar with duels in the box, eagerly accepted the challenge. “On free kicks and corners, we could have hoped for something with balls in the box,” concluded the former Dunkirk coach. “And I didn’t want to take off one of the attackers; I wanted four players up front to take risks for an equalizer.” “Was that a surprise to you?” Anthony Lopes asked with a smile. “Not for us, and I don’t think for him either. We saw him press and go for duels… He can play in any position with the incredible mentality he possesses.” Radakovic has never faced doubts in Nantes, integrating by learning French right away. It was essentially a matter of skill level, which his mentality has helped to compensate for, at least partially.