Although FC Nantes will be playing in Ligue 2 next season after finishing 17th in the table, Anthony Lopes (35) will remain in Ligue 1 for a few more months.
With his contract with Les Canaris due to expire next June, the Portuguese goalkeeper is set to sign a two-year deal with SCO Angers, according to L’Équipe. An option for a further year has also been included in the deal.
Having enjoyed a satisfying season on a personal level, Lopes will bring all his experience (he has played 427 matches in the French league, the majority for Olympique Lyonnais) to an Angers side now bereft of Hervé Koffi (29), whose loan from RC Lens came to an end at the close of the season.
A starter in all 31 matches he played for Nantes this season (17 of them as captain), Lopes kept six clean sheets and conceded a total of 51 goals.
GFFN | Léo Aschi

After 23 years as IndyCar's technical director, Kevin "Rocket" Blanch has retired, IndyCar and IndyCar Officiating announced Thursday. Blanch's retirement is effective immediately.
Blanch's role was to lead post-race and post-qualifying technical inspections. After six years as a crew chief and chief mechanic with Panther Racing — which was co-owned by IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles — Blanch joined IndyCar in this position.
IndyCar is in the first season of IndyCar Officiating and the Independent Officiating Board (IOB), which were created after last season in hopes of introducing an officiating body independent of IndyCar and Penske Entertainment. In February, IndyCar Officiating announced that Blanch would remain the series' technical director through the transition.
"I have been contemplating retirement from the IndyCar technical side for a while," Blanch said in a news release. "Last winter when IndyCar Officiating was formed, I was asked to continue in my role with an emphasis on completing a very hectic Month of May and the Indianapolis 500 and am glad I did.
"After adding it up, I have been a part of IndyCar for 36 years and have been involved in 555 straight races. I have simply poured my heart and soul into the sport I love and am very proud of the team I have worked alongside for over two decades. This is a very difficult decision, but I feel like now is the right time to take a step back."

The Braves continue to win and are now 42-20. Not only do they continue to win, but they continue to win without many of their best players available. They have the best record in baseball and should see Drake Baldwin return towards the middle of the month, who was having a down-ballot MVP-caliber season, and should be getting rotation reinforcements back from injury perhaps as soon as July. The potential insertions of Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and later Spencer Schwellenbach into the rotation could also free up Grant Holmes to add some strength to the bullpen, rather than providing serviceable rotation depth. Other injuries can always happen, of course, but this team is set up quite well for the coming months.
AJ Smith-Shawver is just behind Hurston Waldrep in his recovery from Tommy John and should start his rehab ****** ignment soon.
Matt Powers previewed the Braves’ intriguing DSL roster down on the farm, with some interesting names especially on the hitting side.
The Braves clinched another series win with a 7-2 win on Wednesday and have a chance for a sweep behind Chris Sale at home on Thursday.
Toronto traded for former top prospect Simeon Woods Richardson, as he has struggled to establish himself as more than a back-end starter in MLB.

Mason Greenwood is Gian Piero Gasperini’s top target to strengthen his attack.
The winger has been identified as the ideal candidate to add depth to Donyell Malen’s already strong defense.
According to Sky Sport, talks are expected between Roma and Olympique Marseille regarding the Englishman in the coming days.
However, first, the Giallorossi must formalize Tony D’Amico as sporting director.
As mentioned, Roma will push hard for Greenwood.

Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns on what it means to help the Knicks return to the Finals: “It means a lot for my mother. When she emigrated from [the Dominican Republic] to New York, she saw Madison Square Garden for the first time and saw the energy the city has for Madison Square Garden and the Knicks. My mom, even to the day she passed, wasn’t big on the NBA rules, but one thing she did know was that only the best of the best perform and play at Madison Square Garden. To be able to have this moment in Knicks history where we’re back here, where New York has been hungry to be back in this Finals, it means a lot. It means a lot to me, my loved ones, to be part of the Knicks history that’s doing this.”
NBC Sports
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “It means a lot for my mother. When she emigrated from …