Two days before the opening of the French Ligue 1 Championship, OGC Nice was officially presented to the supporters this Thursday. Deputy Mayor Christian Estrosi, Jean-Pierre Rivère (president of the Gym), and Claude Puel (coach) took turns at the microphone to convey several strong messages.
The 2012-2013 version of OGC Nice was presented to its supporters this Thursday in the gardens of Villa Masséna. All the players paraded in front of the supporters, including the Argentine-Croatian striker, Dario Cvitanich (formerly of Ajax Amsterdam), who has just arrived in France.
The calm demeanor of the new summer recruit contrasts with the ambition displayed by President Jean-Pierre Rivère, Coach Claude Puel… as well as the number one supporter of the Gym, Christian Estrosi, deputy mayor of Nice. On the microphone, the speeches of the three men boiled down to two words: ambition and humility. Excerpts:
Christian Estrosi: “It’s a new chapter in the long history of the Ray Stadium and OGC Nice that is about to be written starting Saturday. I want to thank Jean-Pierre Rivère and all his staff members for calling upon an undeniable name in French football. Claude Puel has a great ability to manage people. He knows how to unite young players with more experienced ones without having the best team in the world. […] As for the new stadium, which will be delivered by 2013, I would like to clarify a few points. Today, Ray Stadium – or, should I say ‘Léo-Lagrange Stadium’ – can only host 30 events per year. For the Allianz-Riviera, it will be around 200 annual events. It’s a venue that can host anything from Elton John and U2 concerts (sic) to a football match. And I am convinced that OGC Nice can go very far in this venue. In the meantime, I’m sure that this 2012-2013 season will be a very great transitional year. I am convinced that we will not have to worry until the last minute to maintain our position. This team will excite and surprise us.”
Jean-Pierre Rivère: “We want a bit of serenity, but we cannot expect Claude Puel to work miracles. We need a bit of patience. For this last year at the Ray, we need to bring people to the Ray Stadium. I understand your concerns about the new stadium. But without infrastructure, a football club struggles to grow. We will focus on maintaining the Niçois identity. On the pricing level, some clubs are raising their prices. We will remain popular. (Applause). I understand that some are attached to the name Nice. It is a source of pride that a big name like Allianz invests in the Niçois project. We won’t deny our identity, but we need to open up. Don’t expect a magic wand; there isn’t one. The goal is to clean up the finances. We can no longer live beyond our means. There is no intention, however, to impoverish the team.”
Claude Puel: “I am not accustomed to long speeches… (Some laughter breaks the solemn silence observed by the audience.) I am moved by the welcome from Mr. Mayor and my president. Jean-Pierre Rivère is new to the football world, but he has shown a lot of perspective, lucidity, and ambition. He is aware of the difficulties of my task. Today, there is no longer a project like the one proposed by OGC Nice in France. Here, the supporters never abandon their team. In a year, the new stadium will be delivered: it is a source of ambition, a project that progresses. We remain a small club with small structures. We aim to integrate the stadium with a good sports base. I want the players to be aware of it. But already, I have detected a good quality of attentiveness.”
