Toulouse demolishes Nantes to win French Cup

PARIS

Logan Costa and Thijs Dallinga both scored twice as Toulouse crushed holder Nantes 5-1 on April 29 night to win the French Cup for the first time since 1957.

Costa headed Toulouse in front inside four minutes, adding a second in similar fashion before Dallinga bagged a brace with barely half an hour played at the Stade de France.

Zakaria Aboukhlal rounded off a memorable triumph for Toulouse late in the second half after Ludovic Blas struck a consolation from the spot for Nantes.

“It’s an iconic competition in this country and we’re proud. We’ve done it, we’ve gone down in club history,” said Costa.

However, Toulouse risks being unable to play in Europe next season if AC Milan qualifies for the Champions League or Europa League as both clubs are owned by U.S. investment firm RedBird Capital Partners.

President Emmanuel Macron shook hands with players in the tunnel before the game, sidestepping fears of a hostile reception following his hugely unpopular pension reform, which has sparked three months of protests and strikes.

Toulouse is enjoying a fine season on their return to Ligue 1, sitting comfortably in mid-table while reaching the final for the first time in 66 years.

Its 6-3 win over Angers in 1957 remains the competition’s highest scoring showpiece, but the club disappeared a decade later in a merger and a new version was founded in 1970.