Yesterday, the new owner of OGC Nice, INEOS, represented by Bob Ratcliffe, brother of Jim Ratcliffe, appeared before the press to answer questions. Transfer market, ambitions, Patrick Vieira, the INEOS Football boss addressed all the topics.
“We made it!” Bob Ratcliffe, brother of Jim Ratcliffe, founder of INEOS and thus the brand-new owner of OGC Nice, began the press conference with a few words about the recent months of negotiations.
Despite numerous obstacles, the British company finally succeeded, much to the delight of Bob Ratcliffe. For about thirty minutes, the new boss of the Gym answered all the questions from the many journalists present in the press conference room at the Allianz Riviera.
The negotiations for the takeover:
“We never gave up on the idea of buying OGC Nice. We were determined from the start. It was long, but we did it!”
Why Nice?:
“We wanted a club that already had quality infrastructure. OGC Nice has a superb stadium, a magnificent training center, great supporters, and a history. And we love the location.”
The ambitions:
“We have a three to five-year project for OGC Nice to regularly qualify and play a role in the European Cup. Our ambition is to be in the top 4 in Ligue 1. PSG is a great club that is out of reach, but we want to compete with Lyon and Marseille. I don’t want to promise the Champions League this season or the next.”
The transfer market:
“There will be no announcements today. We hope to make some in the coming days. The transfer market has been difficult. But we hope to make good use of these last days before the transfer window closes.”
What is the club’s sports project?:
“We want to build a team. If we want to succeed in this project, we must invest in young players. We will develop scouting to find talents. We will not invest in profiles aged 27 or 28. But we still need some experience in the locker room.”
Patrick Vieira:
“I have spoken a lot with Patrick Vieira. He is essential to our project. He is the key man of the project. His way of working with young players is very interesting.”
New organizational structure::
“When INEOS arrives somewhere, we evaluate the components and then make decisions. What Jean-Pierre Rivère and Julien Fournier have achieved at the club in recent years is impressive. We want to succeed as quickly as possible. We are seeking excellence.”
