The Nice UDF sees the stadium at Charles Ehrmann

The cancellation of the future Grand Stadium of Nice project is making a big splash in Nice politics and Nice Première has launched a general consultation on this subject. The first to respond to the invitation were the executives of the Nice UDF, Deputy Rudy Salles and Dr Jean-Louis Vidal Revel. Analysis of another hypothesis with the reconstruction of the honor stadium of Charles Ehrmann sports park, also located on the Var Plain.

Nice Première: What is your feeling after the cancellation of the Grand Stadium of Nice construction project?

Rudy Salles: I regret this halt to the construction because it is the future of the club that is at stake. Since there will be a delay in completion, we will need to obtain an extension to lengthen the homologation period of Ray until the delivery of the new stadium. I am obviously at the disposal of the Gym to support this request because it is not a question of accepting a demotion of OGCN. But I think there will be no problem on that side.

Jean-Louis Vidal Revel: First of all, a feeling of waste. How did we get here? What responsibilities? Everything seemed settled and we get this cold shower. Once again Nice is at the heart of events that are beyond us.

NP: What is your opinion on this Grand Stadium project with its multiple reversals?

RS: Poorly packaged file, rushing… one could say many things. Mr. Peyrat made this project an electoral argument that he wanted to inaugurate before the next municipal elections. For my part, I had proposed a complete renovation of Charles Ehrmann stadium. This solution would present many advantages: less costly, close to the airport and the railway station, but also closer to the city.

Moreover, some of the public facilities already exist (access roads, parking). Finally, we must recognize that this would revive Charles Ehrmann stadium which has 20,000 seats that are never used. My project consists of reorienting the new stadium east/west instead of north/south currently. New stands would line three of the four sides in the style of Monaco’s Louis II stadium. The fourth side is occupied in Monaco by columns; it would in this project be occupied by the Nikaïa hall. This project would present multiple advantages, notably the ability to use the stadium optimally in both its football configuration and concert configuration. This dual use is moreover necessary to make a large stadium profitable. This is what is done at the Stade de France in particular. And this is what the private company managing the Saint Isidore stadium should do. Except that if the stadium is indeed built in Saint Isidore, then organized events will come to compete with existing facilities like Nikaïa.

Finally, I want to say a word about the financial structure envisaged by the city: I am skeptical about its validity over time. The municipality wanted a private company to intervene for the construction and management of the new stadium. This allows the city to ease its financial participation initially. This would also allow for rapid completion to open the stadium before the municipal elections. But once the stadium opens, I do not believe that stadium activities would be enough for a private company to make it profitable. Everyone knows that managing a stadium does not generate profit. And therefore, there is a great risk that the private company will seek to withdraw and that the city will have to come to the rescue. This would mean that the city would have to pay and that in the end it is an operation that will cost the taxpayer just as much, if not more.

JLVR: It seems to me that in the perspective of developing OGCN, a stadium in the City could no longer be acceptable. Insufficient for the local team and insufficient to host major events. However, let us not forget that the NIKAIA hall, promised the greatest expectations, has also not succeeded in maximizing its potential except for rare events. Does our Department not offer too many distractions to regularly concentrate thousands of spectators in a concert hall or in a large stadium?

The location planned for the stadium could become the best or worst of achievements, it would be hard to predict. Clearing the city center is a good thing as we face asphyxiation. With three North/South streets, which are not even axes, overcrowded and without adequate parking, it was not conceivable to want to concentrate at Ray an unbearable increase in population during matches. A few of us are fortunate enough to go to Ray on foot… would we be numerous enough to fill it beyond its current average? And the tram won’t solve that problem… One question: what is the average attendance in Monaco?

The UDF, unfortunately not represented on the Municipal Council, had reasonable proposals to make… Opinion leaders are absent.

NP: Do you think that behind this cancellation hides another possible corruption?

RS: I have no idea so “no comment”. That said, there have been so many scandals involving public operations that one cannot help but be suspicious.

JLVR: I dare not imagine it. Let’s wait for the rest of the procedure. However, personally, just as with the tram, which we rightly criticized for its electoral options (and I’m not talking about the work whose course is scandalous in more than one way: incoherent garbage site despite the efforts of those involved – one just has to talk to them to be enlightened) I believe that when one has dived in, one must swim… Dived? It’s been a long time since we dove. Swim? You have to go all the way, there’s no other way. The 5th City of France deserves better. The result won’t be extraordinary but it will always be better than what we have.

NP: Were you more “Ray and that’s it” or “Enough with Ray”?

RS: Ray stadium has a history, an atmosphere that will be difficult to replace. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that its position in an increasingly populated residential neighborhood has become problematic, particularly for traffic and parking. The arrival of the tram didn’t help on that front. And besides, reconstruction on site would have forced the Gym to play elsewhere during construction but where? No one could provide an answer to this essential question. There can be no interruption either for the players or for the supporters. This is why I proposed reconstruction at Charles Ehrmann stadium.

JLVR: “Ray and that’s it”? Be content with Ray? Yes of course if our ambitions are to play in the 2nd Division. And why not? We have already lived through purgatory. We could also form a great “Côte d’Azur” team with a stadium centered in the Department. But if the Nice population needs to recognize itself and find itself in high-level sports… then:

“Enough with Ray”? Let’s put ourselves in the residents’ shoes… Highway funnel, non-existent parking, inadequate roads… What a life!! Reception infrastructure impossible to create, training spaces unworthy of a great team etc…

The UDF and Rudy Salles have good ideas for the controlled use of the current space which should be left free. What a breath of fresh air for the neighborhood and for young people. May the municipality listen and not disappoint. Let’s hope we’re there in time…

NP: How would you envisage the new Ray stadium?

RS: The Ray site must maintain a sports vocation. I would refuse any real estate or commercial development. A large multi-sports complex must be created in Nice North. The fifth city of France cannot be satisfied with a single sports complex in Nice West. And let’s not forget that the construction of large playing fields is a necessity in Nice: a survey published in “l’Équipe” ranked Nice 27th city out of 27 in this category. We have enormous progress to make.

JLVR: The project presented in the Var plain is appealing. In any case, as with the prison, we don’t have much choice… On the other hand, I don’t think I’ve seen that wind problems were the subject of particular studies and floods pose a worrying issue… We will certainly move discontent to the Saint Isidore sector… How many voters?

NP: What name would you give it?

RS: On this question, allow me to make a complaint to Nice Première and add a proposal. The complaint: I find that the proposals in the Nice Première survey are not very satisfactory. Indeed, Garibaldi already has the name of a very beautiful place in Nice but had no connection with football. Catherine Ségurane is a figure of Nice but not of sports! I could continue my enumeration. This is why I gave thought to this question taking into account several criteria: there must be a link with the Gym, the name must symbolize both the city of Nice and youth, it must be a name that is easy to pronounce and remember, especially for media outside Nice. This is why I proposed the “Stade des Aiglons” (Eagles Stadium). I submitted this name to the OGCNice association whose board of directors voted unanimously in favor. I even read in one of your articles that Mrs. Peyrat had joined in (she probably didn’t know this idea came from me). This is why I submit it to you and propose launching a new poll for the naming of the stadium taking into account this proposal.

JLVR: For me no hesitation “The RAY” and “that’s it”!!! On condition, however, that all kinds of “speakers” maintain the pronunciation “raille”, including the official one who operates at the stadium on match evenings… and who insists on saying “ré”, without capital! There still remains in Saint Isidore a “raï” of water that runs at the bottom of its valley to justify its use in the eyes of the purists, as for the others, they know nothing about it, let’s keep it between us.

RAY is the stadium of great times, keeping its name would put everyone in agreement and perhaps the spirit of the great players we have known would come to haunt the place.

I would also like it to be named “Stade Jacques Médecin”, but you can imagine the outcry…