Brighton & Hove Albion conclude their pre-season with a game against Ligue 1 side FC Nantes at the Amex Stadium tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.
Chris Hughton’s side were 1-0 winners over fellow French outfit OGC Nice on Tuesday afternoon, and the game on the south coast this evening comes eight days before the Premier League opener against Watford at Vicarage Road.
How did FC Nantes do last season?
The side achieved a ninth placed finish last term under the guidance of former Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri, ending the campaign on 52 points – three shy of a Europa League qualification spot.
The season saw the side win 14 matches and lose the same number, as well as drawing ten – after losing their first two games, FC Nantes when on a run which saw them lose just one match in ten from mid-August until the start of November, leaving them in fifth and firmly in the frame for European football.
It was a position they occupied for a long while after, but FC Nantes went without a victory during the last two months of the season until winning both of their final two matches and ending the year in ninth position.
Who’s in charge?
Miguel Cardoso took charge on the 13th June 2018 as he replaced Ranieri and arrived from Rio Ave in Portugal.
Cardoso had guided the side to a fifth-placed finish in Portugal’s top flight and achieved a record-breaking points total of 51.
The side also claimed European football for only the second time in the club’s history – and the feat was made more impressive by the fact it was Cardoso’s first spell as a head coach in professional football.
Prior to his time with Rio Ave, Cardoso had spent time as an assistant manager at Belenenses, Braga, Academia, Sporting Lisbon, Deportivo La Coruna and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Travel Information:
Please note that the club will not be running their usual matchday travel scheme, therefore anyone travelling by bus or train will have to purchase a ticket to travel from the relevant operator.
Also, no park and ride services will be in operation for this match.
Trains: Southern Rail have informed the club that they will be putting on their normal Friday night service after the match, however supporters are advised to check Southern’s website before travelling.
Car Parks: The Bridge (Car Park B) and Sussex University (Car Park C) have spaces available to purchase at BrightonAndHoveAlbion.com/Tickets.
All vehicles accredited to park at Sussex University must enter via Stanmer Park, as there will be no entry at Falmer or Knights Gate.
Parking: There is no local street parking available due to a residents’ parking scheme that is in place. Enforcement officers will also be on patrol.
Drop-offs & Pick-ups: There will be no pick-ups or drop-offs along Village Way, and fans are asked to use the official drop off location at car park 5 at the University of Sussex both before and after the game. This is located just by the sports hall.
From there, it is a short walk through the underpass to the stadium, and the club will run a free shuttle bus for disabled fans.
Ticket details:
A full list of prices for matchday prices is available by clicking here.
Follow it live:
Albion fans can follow all the action from tonight's game with FC Nantes via the club’s official Twitter feed.
The live match centre will also be available to supporters throughout the evening here on the club's website.
Supporters will then be able to read a full match report from the contest at the Amex Stadium on BrightonandHoveAlbion.com, with post-match reaction also available after the final whistle.