Players, coach, and president stopped in front of the press, smiles from ear to ear, savoring the qualification. Here are the standout quotes from the press conference and the mixed zone.
Lucien Favre (Coach of OGC Nice):
“I didn’t even count the minutes I was holding my breath (laughs)! It was intense… It’s fantastic! We’re going to enjoy this qualification; we eliminated a great team like Ajax. We created our own luck; the 2-2 draw is brilliant! We knew that at 1-3, it would be over, so at 1-2 we always believed. I want to thank the supporters who traveled. In the first half, we could have done better; we had quite a few counter-attack opportunities. In the second half, it was a barrage. We still have a lot of work to do on managing the pace, ball control, intensity…”
Jean-Pierre Rivère (President of OGC Nice):
“The qualification is not insignificant. We played a good match against a great team. Last season’s Europa League matches helped us tonight. The players played the match they needed to; it’s a reward for the whole group and the youngsters. I’m happy that we’re going to play a second European cup season. It’s all positive!”
Vincent Koziello (Midfielder of OGC Nice):
“I haven’t yet grasped the achievement. I see smiles; I’ve never seen Fred Gioria and Lionel Letizi like this, it’s very emotional. The club is moving up with this qualification; we played a mature match and showed that we’re no longer ‘kids of the European cup’. We went into the game fully committed, and at 1-2, we didn’t panic. We also have to highlight Dante’s work, everything he tells us in the locker room, his words, his encouragements. In tough moments in the second half, he calmed us down.”
Vincent Marcel (Midfielder of OGC Nice and scorer this Wednesday night):
“I’m happy! Proud of the team, of myself, we’re thrilled to get through this round, it was a European match against a very serious team. When I score, it’s a huge pride, especially since I don’t often use my right foot. You know, in training, we often work in pairs, Micka (Séri) sensed that I was behind him. I can’t explain what happened in my head, I held myself back from running. We will continue to work, remain in the same dynamic. I am aware of the achievement and the path we’ve traveled. I am proud of it.”
Arnaud Souquet (Defender of OGC Nice and first scorer of the night):
“We are super happy! We must not downplay the performance; we suffered, I won’t hide it. We played our game, in a great stadium, in front of a very good crowd. We’re going to enjoy it, all together. It’s great because it validates our last season.”
