This Sunday, OGC Nice will host Angers as part of the 15th round of Ligue 1. After a difficult week off the field, the Gym wants to end this interminable negative spiral. In the event of another poor performance, the Aiglons would plunge further into crisis.
Nothing is going well at OGC Nice! In less than a week, the Aiglons have been through it all: a coach—Franck Haise—who was long on the verge of departure but eventually stayed with the club, players were accosted, pushed around by unhappy fans last Sunday after another defeat on the Lorient stadium (1-3). Last Sunday, the exasperation of some individuals exceeded certain limits. Awaiting outside the training center, several players, as well as Florian Maurice, the Gym’s sporting director, reportedly were physically targeted, all in what was described as a hostile atmosphere. These incidents allegedly cost Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga several days of medical leave. Tensions have reached a peak. Numerous instances of spitting, insulting, and psychological threats were also reported from this encounter. Complaints against persons unknown were also filed earlier in the week. “I will be questioned by the police on Monday regarding what happened this Sunday,” Franck Haise confirmed at a press conference this Saturday.
Shocked by these incidents, Franck Haise considered leaving the ship. The Aiglons’ coach was even announced as leaving earlier in the week before changing his mind. Having remained largely silent about these events, Fabrice Bocquet, the Nice president, spoke on the l’After program this Thursday evening, confirming this scenario. “It was Franck who contacted me first on Monday. He quickly told me not only about his desire to resign, but also that we should all three resign,” confirms the Nice president, who completely ruled out that possibility. “That wasn’t my train of thought at the time. I wanted to be there for the club’s employees and for the OGC Nice institution,” he assures. “It was a moment of chaos. Ultimately, the decision would have been to abandon the staff, the players, the people in general. I was very close (to leaving) at one point, but I changed my mind,” defends the former RC Lens coach.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the Populaire Sud, consisting of the most loyal red and black ultras, has called for a boycott of the next outings of Franck Haise’s group. Through a statement, the group says: “You no longer interest us. We who work all week, who give them our weekends. We, who they insulted that day, no longer wish to attend and witness once again their outrageous behavior.” To recall, the fans reject any form of physical violence that night at the gathering. The goal of this assembly was primarily to send a message to the red and black group. “It will be a long road for everyone to come together,” regrets Haise.
Dante’s 2025 Season Is Over
Under these circumstances, the players only returned to training this Wednesday, merely four days ahead of hosting Angers. Thus, the preparation for this match didn’t go ideally. “The players responded well on the field. We worked normally for the rest of the week, even though Wednesday was a bit particular,” analyzes Franck Haise. Besides these two absences, Franck Haise also cannot rely on Mohamed Abdelmonem, Youssouf Ndayishimiye (returning) and Moïse Bombito, who are injured. Absent from the loss at Lorient, Dante is also forfeited. Still struggling with his knees, the Brazilian won’t see the fields again before 2026. These losses in defense could force the Gym to change their playing system and abandon their traditional back three.
Will Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi Play Again with the Gym?
On sick leave, Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi will logically not be part of the match. The future of both players remains quite uncertain. The chances of seeing them play again in Nice colors one day are slim. “The truth is, I have no idea. We’ll reassess after their sick leave. They are very impacted. My support goes out to them. We’ll see how things develop,” assures Bocquet, still on RMC. For his part, the Aiglons’ coach has only been able to communicate through messages and phone calls with these two strikers since last Sunday.
“It will be up to us to be there with a fighting spirit. The only answer we can provide is that of the field,” says the Nice coach. He continues: “The guys are aware of what we’re missing. There are lots of things we need to change, the number of goals we concede, the mindset, the attitudes.” Clear-headed, Franck Haise sounds the alarm: his group must move forward and stop repeating the same mistakes. Also noteworthy, no player from OGC Nice appeared at the pre-match press conference this Saturday at the training center. After a week of hardship for the entire group, the players made the collective decision to stay focused and united on the sport and the field.
On the other hand, Angers occupies the 12th spot in Ligue 1, just behind Nice (only one point separates the two teams in the standings). Despite a limited budget, SCO surprises with its quality and philosophy of play. “They are a very good team. They have quality in play, in initiatives. There is very good work by the staff,” estimates Franck Haise. The Angevin team is ahead in their primary mission: to secure their place in the elite as quickly as possible. Last weekend, Alexandre Dujeux’s men eventually succumbed with honor against the future leader of L1, RC Lens (1-2). Against the Aiglons, the club can count on the return of its goalkeeper, Hervé Koffi. The Burkinabe goalie could not take part in his team’s last match because he is still under contract with Les Sang et Or, who loaned him to Angers this year.
The Probable Lineups:
Nice: Diouf – Mendy, Oppong, Bard – Clauss, Vanhoutte, Boudaoui, Abdi – Cho, Carlos, Diop
Angers: Koffi – Arcus, Camara, Lefort, Ekieme – Belkebla, Belkhdim – Abdelli, Mouton, Sbaï – Cherif.
