Anthony Lopes Scout Report — Angers SCO | Ligue 1 35-Year-Old Goalkeeper
Academy Nations League series — France (Ligue 1): Angers SCO
This file opens the France stop in GegenSports’ new series scanning FIFA Top50 nations with strong academy systems club by club. We start with Ligue 1’s alphabetically first club, Angers SCO, at the goalkeeper position.
Quick scout answer: Anthony Lopes is the 35-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper Angers signed on a free transfer in summer 2026. After two seasons at Nantes, he landed the club’s number-one shirt straight away on a deal running to 2028; through the opening five matches he has kept two clean sheets on an 83.9% save rate. A veteran with fifteen seasons and 489 appearances at Lyon and Portugal senior caps (Euro 2016 squad), the real watch item here is how quickly the club’s young goalkeeper project, Melvin Zinga and Oumar Pona, develop in his shadow.
Profile and monitoring framework
Born 1 October 1990, Anthony Lopes spent fifteen seasons at Olympique Lyonnais (489 official appearances, Coupe de la Ligue finals in 2014 and 2020) before moving to Nantes in 2024. When his contract expired in summer 2026 he agreed a free two-year deal with Angers, tying him to the club through 30 June 2028. The 1.88m left-footed goalkeeper has represented Portugal’s senior national team and was part of the Euro 2016 squad — international experience that reads as a key stabilising factor for newly-promoted Angers.
Watch criteria: (1) how much game time Lopes’ age (35) opens up for the club’s young goalkeeper candidates (Melvin Zinga, Oumar Pona) through rotation or injury risk over the season; (2) whether his early-season form line (5 matches, 2 clean sheets, 83.9% saves) holds through mid-season; (3) whether Angers have a succession plan at goalkeeper beyond 2028. Handing Lopes the number 35 shirt and the starting role signals the coaching staff’s approach of stabilising this campaign through experience.
GegenSports scout note
Scout verdict: Passive monitoring — Lopes’ status as first choice is clear at the start of the season; the real file value lies in how fast the Zinga/Pona pipeline reaches first-team level over the next 12-18 months. An injury or dip in form would immediately flip this to active monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Anthony Lopes? Angers SCO’s 35-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper, a product of Lyon’s academy who was part of Portugal’s Euro 2016 squad.
What is his market value? Roughly €983K (as of September 2026, per Fotmob/Transfermarkt estimates).
When does his contract expire? 30 June 2028.
How did he join Angers? He signed as a free agent from Nantes in June 2026.
Sources and data note
This file draws on the Fotmob player profile, Transfermarkt squad/market value records, and Wikipedia biographical data. Statistics are current as of 27 September 2026 and will need updating as the season progresses. No images are included in this file.
