Last season was one to forget in Nice. The club abandoned the dynamic it had maintained in recent years of entering European positions. But they didn’t just fight to travel the continent. They were on the verge of being relegated to Ligue 2.
They were in sixteenth position, so they had to play the playout against Saint-Étienne, whom they beat 4-1 on aggregate and were able to maintain the category. “I feel relief because it was very important for us, for the entire team, to keep the club in Ligue 1. For the coaching staff, for our fans, for the city. Nice does not belong to Ligue 2″stated Dante after salvation.
And paradoxically, they reached the Cup final, although they lost against Lens. “This sense of relief cannot hide the reality of the season we have just experienced. We have not lived up to the ambitions, standards and expectations that the OGC Nice must set for itself. We know that this season has caused a lot of frustration, confusion and disappointment,” the French entity reported at the end of the campaign.
Therefore, the new sports director Roger Ricort, and the new coach, Olivier Pantaloniboth arriving this summer, have implemented measures to try to avoid repeating this last season. L’Equipe has been the one who has advanced these norms.
The players must register upon arrival. To make a group, everyone eats together. And they are prohibited from speaking English so that each team member has a basic knowledge of French. In addition, Ricort also holds individual meetings every morning, starting with the most senior players. “I don’t like the show, but if we are going to change things, we have to start with the mentality “he stated.
At the moment, it is going well, with the 4-0 victory against Nimes in the first game of the preseason. Tomorrow will have a big test to see if they are ready to start the league, with a confrontation against Olympique de Marseille.
