Tanguy Mouchot, president of Cavigal Nice Handball, discusses the preparation for the club’s upcoming season. The team from Nice will once again compete in Nationale 2, with the ambition of improving on last season’s fifth-place finish.
“The players resumed training on July 31st. They are eager to start the season. Last year was a transitional year. Now, we want to move forward again,” explains Tanguy Mouchot. In July 2022, the club, then in Proligue (second division), was administratively relegated to Nationale due to financial issues. Cavigal Nice Handball thus competed in the Nationale 2 championship during the 2022/2023 season, finishing in an encouraging fifth place.
An already completed recruitment
For this, the Nice club worked in advance to complete its recruitment as early as May. “We acted according to our needs. We recruited for positions where we had gaps, particularly for right winger, right back, and goalkeeper positions,” argues the president. Several arrivals and contract extensions have been announced on the club’s social media, including profiles with experience.
“We also have the return of players who were with us a few years ago, like Alexis Bon. He has already spent three years with us. We will benefit from his experience and knowledge of the club,” Tanguy Mouchot elaborates. The team has also relied on its own development system. This year, no fewer than 11 players out of the 18 in the squad were trained at Cavigal Nice Handball.
“We play in a quite local division with many derbies”
For the players, the season officially started on September 2nd with a victory in the Coupe de France against Marseille (Nationale 3) with a score of (34-27). This week (September 9th at 8 PM), the championship begins at home against Prades. “We play in a quite local division, with many derbies against Antibes, Villeneuve-Loubet, or Monaco,” analyzes Tanguy Mouchot. The most distant trips will take the team from Nice near Valence or next to Montpellier.
