The first piece of good news thus came from the FFF’s Appeals Commission, which overturned the decision of the LFP’s Disciplinary Commission by canceling the match to be played behind closed doors at the Stade du Ray. The club ultimately got off with a fine of €3,000. Good news rarely comes alone these days at OGC Nice, and there is a new addition who has joined the Niçois squad at their training camp in Vichy with a two-year commitment from Mamadou Bagayoko, who previously played for the club during the 2005-2006 season (32 matches – 5 goals). After spending two seasons in Nantes with 47 matches and 17 goals to his credit, the Malian is thus returning to a group with which he had experienced the thrill of a League Cup final in 2006.
For now, the group is preparing calmly in Vichy, and even if the friendly matches have not always smiled on the Niçois (defeat against Bastia: 2-1, Lyon: 1-0, Arles-Avignon: 2-1 and victory against Clermont 2-0), Didier Olle Nicole seems confident in his group’s potential. The next friendly matches will take place tonight, in Vichy against Lens and then next Saturday, August 1st in Cuneo (Italy – Piedmont) against the Genoa team from across the Alps. A real final test against a team that finished in an honorable 5th place in the Italian league last year. It is a match with a European flavor and level, which will help determine the form level of the eagles.
In two short weeks, it will thus be the season opener with a perennially dangerous trip to the green cauldron of Saint-Etienne to face Alain Perrin’s proteges who will be eager to start the season off well so as not to be as fearful as last season when Saint-Etienne finished just three points above the first relegated team, Caen. So, we will have to wait until Sunday, August 16 at 5:00 PM to see Didier Olle-Nicolle, who will be debuting his coaching badges for the first time in an official match at the Ray against a Rennes team coached by a certain… Frédéric Antonetti. A duel in red and black that will undoubtedly be spicy for a high-flying second matchday. Then it will be the turn to travel to the champions in Bordeaux to better return to Nice to face Montpellier, but we are not there yet!
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