Amidst the Nice group, the much-coveted Brazilian Ederson was also making his return in red and black, waiting to be confirmed about his fate. The two Italian capital clubs, AS Roma and Lazio are in the running, and an offer of 10 million euros has been made to OGC Nice, which has not yet decided on the future of its South American strategist. La Gazetta dello Sport, the Italian equivalent of L’Équipe, even praises the young Nice prodigy, presenting him with a large near 10-minute video portrait.
No new faces for the start of the season, but a choice recruit with Hugo Lloris, who has ultimately opted to keep the Nice goals for an additional year. A well-considered choice for young Hugo, the real “Boss” of the red and black defense. Exit passes have been granted to Abardonado, Balmont, and Varrault, but only in the case of interesting proposals for the club. To date, conditions seem not to be met for any of these three eagles, even though Olympique de Marseille would like to see Balmont at the Vélodrome, but President Cohen has been clear on this matter: “OM is interested, but negotiations are at a standstill. There is nothing concrete at the moment.”
On the arrivals front, things are a bit unclear, and no doubt departures will certainly unlock the current status quo because with a loss estimated at nearly one and a half million euros, OGC Nice is not in a position to spend too much. With the 17th budget in Ligue 1, it’s hard to work miracles, and as the island coach doesn’t believe in God any more than in his saints, it’s a discourse based on continuity that Frédéric Antonetti and his President Maurice Cohen prefer to address at the moment.
Admittedly, last season was difficult, and survival was only assured at the very end of the championship, but everyone remembers the previous season which took the eagles to the gates of Europe and especially to the final of the League Cup. Seasons come, but do not seem to resemble in the red and black club, and statisticians would likely see this as a good sign at the dawn of the 2007-2008 season.
Just a few more weeks to wait for Nice supporters who will be able to return to the Path of Ray with the secret hope that their team quickly finds the path to the net again.
