PARIS: Toulouse ended a 66-year wait by winning the French cup with a 5-1 thrashing of holders Nantes after leading by four clear goals in only the opening 30 minutes in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

However coach Philippe Montanier’s team, after winning the second title in their history and first since rising from the ashes of bankruptcy in 1970, may not be able to play in next season’s Europa League

UEFA’s regulations do not allow two clubs with the same owner to participate in the same European competition and Toulouse’s owner, the American investment fund RedBird, also owns Milan.

French President Emmanuel Macron did not greet the players on the pitch, as is traditional, and did so inside the Stade de France to avoid being whistled after his government’s controversial pension reform.

The match was decided in a highly effective first half by Toulouse who, after 10 minutes, were already 2-0 up with two headed goals from center-back Logan Costa, the first from a corner kick taken by  Branco Van den Boomen (4th min. ) and the second from a cross from Stijn Spierings.

Nantes tried to respond but two goals from Thijs Dallinga sealed the final before the break. The 22-year-old Dutch striker has now scored 18 goals in 36 games this season, including six in the French Cup.

The second half saw Nantes, chasing a fifth Cup in their 10th final, scored a consolation when Ludovic Blas converted a penalty after a foul by Rasmus Nicolaisen on Fabien Centonze in the 74th minute.

Toulouse snappwd back through a Zakaria Aboukhlal shot deflected by Jean-Charles Castelletto to secure their first cup triumph since 1957.

Elsewhere . . .

Antwerp beat Mechelen 2-0 to win the Belgian cup final while PSV Eindhoven won the Dutch cup after beating Ajax 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

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