Although the season only starts on September 8, Stade Niçois is coming out of vacation mode to prepare for the new season with a clear ambition: reaching the final stages of Fédérale 1. To achieve this, they will have to perform well in a very competitive pool 4.
In this new season, the objective is clear for the management of Stade Niçois: qualifying for the final stages. Therefore, they must finish in the top 2 to secure promotion to the professional tier, ProD2. Last year, having just arrived from Fédérale 2 (which the Niçois dominated), the Stade was seen as an underdog. And yet, it didn’t take long for David Bolgashvili’s men to prove everyone wrong. Unbeaten at home throughout the season, the players of Stade des Arboras even secured wins away, such as the victory on Bourgoin’s field. Ultimately, due to an administrative issue and a point deduction penalty, Nice ended the season in 4th place. A very good season for a promoted team but one that leaves both the players and staff with a bittersweet feeling.
A new status to assume
This year, Nice is no longer the newcomer. Nice is not the favorite either, but a serious contender for the final stages. The Nice club has kept its core players and has made some great acquisitions (see recruits article). The club is equipped for this new season. New season, new goal. This time, it is clear: securing a top-two finish in the rankings to earn a spot in ProD2. However, the Stade players will no longer have the newcomer status. This year, Nice is a serious contender and will have to embrace this role. Especially when the new pool includes strong, very strong competition.
A competitive pool 1
Nice will be reacquainted with some familiar faces from last year’s pool 4: Bédarrides, Bourgoin, Châteaurenard, and Hyères-Carqueiranne. Added to the mix are newcomers and new teams like Aubenas, Castanet-Tolosan, Céret, Mazamet, and Nîmes. Most notably, two teams stand out as favorites in this pool: Narbonne and especially Bourg-en-Bresse, who relegated from ProD2 and frequently oscillates between promotion to ProD2 and relegation to Fédérale 1. This pool 1 is very challenging for the Niçois: Bourgoin, Hyères-Carqueiranne, Narbonne, and Bourg-en-Bresse are, on paper, Stade Niçois’s main rivals. But beware, some surprises may be in store…
