It had been in the works for some time now, OGC Nice officially extended Claude Puel’s contract this Thursday evening. The coach of the Aiglons, who arrived in May 2012, is now tied to the club until 2016 (with an option for 2017) and will continue to lead his training policy.
An obvious decision. The contract extension for Claude Puel, at the heart of the Nice project, was merely a matter of making it official. After numerous rumors in recent weeks, the Nice club has (finally) confirmed it. Claude Puel, who joined the club in May 2012, had an excellent first season with a 4th place finish and a qualification for the Europa League playoffs. The coach of the red and black is also behind the progress of many young talents. Over the past three seasons, he has introduced no less than 13 players from the Nice training program into Ligue 1 and 3 professionals (see list in the inset).
“He is the coach that OGC Nice needs and I am very happy to have him by my side. He has my full confidence. We are on the same page. The discussions were not long,” explains President Jean-Pierre Rivère on the Nice-Matin site.
Despite the seven consecutive defeats last season and despite securing safety on the penultimate day (17th place), Claude Puel has always had the trust of his leaders. After the disappointing match in Nantes at the end of September (2-1 defeat), the President nonetheless came down from his office to address the players, not to question the coach’s work.
“Nice is not an easy challenge because there is a lot of passion surrounding this club. Things can change very quickly. This club must be able, in the coming years, to compete in Europe. My message has never changed,” asserts Claude Puel, still on the daily’s site.
Currently 11th, OGC Nice is only one point behind Paris Saint-Germain, in 3rd place, and counts on the reception of Bastia (Saturday at 8 PM at Allianz Riviera) to establish themselves in the top half of the table. Undoubtedly, the coach would like to “celebrate” his contract extension with a victory.
Photo credits and more information on www.ogcnice.com
