It’s official, Hatem Ben Arfa is now a player for Nice! The French international (13 caps) will don the Gym colors this season and potentially beyond. Highly criticized in England, he arrives on the French Riviera to revive a career that has been inconsistent.
“Nice is the perfect place for me to express myself and be who I am.” This is surely the stand-out remark from his press conference on Monday evening at the Allianz Riviera. Hatem Ben Arfa’s arrival at OGC Nice is now official after about ten days of speculation and negotiations. Released from his contract by Newcastle on Sunday, the 27-year-old midfielder has signed with the club currently sitting 11th in Ligue 1.
“I wanted to return to France where I grew up. The initial talks happened with Mathieu Bodmer; we had a good discussion, and he mentioned the idea of me coming to Nice. I also spoke with Julien Fournier (General Manager of OGC Nice), whom I knew at Marseille, and then with the president and the coach. My decision was made quickly,” Hatem Ben Arfa expressed joyfully.
Trained in Lyon, Ben Arfa began his Ligue 1 career at … Nice on August 6, 2004. “Maybe it’s a sign of destiny,” he joked. After a stint with Marseille (2008-2011), he moved to England to play for Newcastle from 2011 to 2014, with a loan to Hull in recent months. Initially regarded as “a great talent,” Hatem Ben Arfa missed the opportunity to build a successful and illustrious career, due to significant inconsistency on the field, a dislike for authority, and too many missteps. Nonetheless, his record is impressive, with five French Championship titles (4 with Lyon, 1 with Marseille), along with a French Cup and a League Cup. His last appearance for the national team, his thirteenth cap, dates back to Euro 2012.
“We are all aware of Hatem’s talents; he still has the potential to achieve more. He is calm, thoughtful, and eager to start a new era. Hatem has more good years ahead of him at a high level,” explained Claude Puel.
Still lacking match fitness, he might make his return to the field and debut his new colors during the home game against Olympique de Marseille on the weekend of January 22-24. Ben Arfa is capable of moments of brilliance, like the famous goal for Newcastle where he dribbled past half the opposing team before scoring. Nice, which hasn’t found the net since their away win at Caen (3-2 victory), needed a player capable of making a significant impact. Now, all that remains is to finish the plays and excite the Allianz Riviera audience once again.
