15 matches, 15 finals… This is the mantra that Franck Giudicelli, the new co-president of OGC Nice responsible for sports, likes to remind everyone of. Under his leadership, the eaglets have adhered to his motto by drawing in Lyon and winning last Saturday against Bordeaux at Ray. In a few days, Troyes will visit the Gym. For this match, Franck Giudicelli hopes for a full stadium, even stronger support from the fans. He talks about synergy, a unifying spirit. He, who rushed to Maurice Cohen at the final whistle against Bordeaux before Cédric Varrault jumped into his arms. This is the Gym we love. This is the Gym of Franck Giudicelli and Maurice Cohen. Before joining Frédéric Antonetti on the training field, Ligue 1’s youngest president opened his door—which he never keeps closed—to answer questions from Nice-Premium.
Nice-Premium: Draw in Lyon, victory against Bordeaux, luck has turned, and the black cat of Ray has been replaced by the lucky charm Giudicelli. How responsible do you feel for these outcomes?
Franck Giudicelli: Not much. We’ve been luckier than usual. Let’s not fool ourselves. We were never really in danger during the games despite the rankings. We never had disastrous matches, never lost our footing. We never drowned in a match. Today, we have a bit more luck, but it needs to be provoked. Maybe it’s a sign? We don’t know.
NP: What can be done to sustain this success?
FG: It needs to be provoked. For it to last, there needs to be a mindset. It seems the players have become aware of the situation, although they probably were aware before too. They have embraced this “maintenance” spirit more. We’ll take it match by match. We’ll see.
NP: So, to provoke success, like Ederson did last Saturday against Bordeaux, daring to start from midfield, run fifty meters and lodge the ball in the top corner?
FG: Ederson is pure talent. We have other talents. There was also luck involved.
NP: You are the youngest president in L1. Is it difficult to hold this position at such a young age, and what is the most complicated aspect?
FG: There are no major complications. The only thing that bothers me is the ranking. In my actual duties, there are no complications. You know, I think football, I live football. After that, passion takes over the real problems that a president or a technical staff might encounter.
NP: Do you continue to learn while you perform your duties?
FG: Obviously. We learn something new every day. Maurice Cohen, Roger Ricort, the staff teach me regularly. Even Jean-Michel Aulas or Gervais Martel continue to learn, yet they have a lot of experience. In football, today’s truth is not tomorrow’s, and vice versa.
NP: Were you surprised by the pressure, by the media?
FG: No. The media are an integral part of the professional world. I’ve always had good relations. My door is always open. I rarely refuse an interview, actually never. I have no issues with them as long as we’re talking football and can express ourselves.
NP: Were you surprised, bothered, or disturbed by anything upon your arrival?
FG: Not particularly. There were these controversies, these rumors, these mix-ups, and these tensions. It’s a pity that this came out publically. Maybe it’s a necessary evil. We now sense a much more mobilizing and unifying discourse. All this is also part of the professional environment. All clubs go through crises. PSG and OM go through them even when they are high in the rankings. Even Lyon is not immune to criticism. That’s how it is.
NP: Upon your arrival, what did you say to the players and the staff? Was there a specific speech?
FG: To Frédéric Antonetti, I didn’t need to say much. He knows his job by heart. I have a lot of complicity with him, not because of our Corsican origins, but because he is very conscientious and competent. He does his job with all his heart and devotion. But we have a lot of contact. It’s obvious!
To the players, I told them that the situation was a bit critical. We had 16 points. I told them they had talent, that confidence was lacking in their game and their involvement on the field, that it was a mental issue. It’s not a quality issue. I told them to just play and free themselves. We sense their generosity. There are still matches. You saw that against Bordeaux we suffered but out of fear because we are not healed yet.
NP: It was Bordeaux, a tough opponent…
FG: I found them not very dangerous with few chances. I was quite impressed by their ball control. They were very good and I dare say I know a thing or two about football.
NP: Did you seek to reassure the staff?
FG: Yes, as with the players. We needed to all be united. Only that way can we get through this. That’s the message I want to pass within the club, the city, and to the fans. Perfect synergy is necessary; otherwise, I don’t see how we can make it.
NP: You started your presidency at the end of the transfer window. It’s been a turbulent start. Can you talk about it with a bit more hindsight? We can mention Fortuné, Monterrubio…
FG: It’s a shame about Fortuné. The coach has wanted him for years. He has potential, lots of quality. He is unknown to the general public. I think if we had been as established as we are today, Fortuné would be at Nice. There were a lot of indecisions on the part of the club. That’s part of the job we’re learning.
For Monterrubio: we had him on the phone in the morning. He was willing to come. Lens got in the running and then it was competition. If we didn’t get him, it was due to the ranking. It’s not financial because our offer was roughly the same as that of RC Lens. When you are a small club like ours, with a smaller budget, it’s hard to approach players of this category.
In 48 hours, we worked hard. We didn’t get results, but that’s alright. We had a lot of offers, about fifty players. Taking for the sake of taking doesn’t interest me. I wanted to add value. We were offered well-known players and unknowns. We were proposed Mario Jardel. He was a great scorer. We almost took Reinaldo but were warned he had a physical issue. We weren’t going to bring in a player who wasn’t ready at 100%. If you’re going to do things, they must be done right. It’s better to do nothing than to do things poorly.
NP: You still managed to bring in Lionel Létizi. Did that decision happen quickly?
FG: Yes, very quickly. I really appreciated Lionel. He will bring serenity to the locker room based on his experience.
NP: So, you have a lot of contacts for the next transfer market?
FG: Yes. We’ll start working on it, taking into account either maintaining our position or facing relegation, and I cross my fingers that it won’t be the latter.
NP: What are your current activities now that the transfer window is closed?
FG: We are working on the sports organizational chart, seeing what we can improve and where we can improve. A lot of work has already been done by Maurice Cohen. We’re trying to refine it. We’re working on the upcoming season.
NP: What will change in the organizational chart?
FG: I mainly wanted to expand the recruitment cell. José Cobos is already on a trip. As long as we don’t have that big stadium, we don’t have the necessary budget and we are never immune to a mistake. This year there was the Moussilou case. It’s not a mistake, it’s a failure.
Tomorrow, we won’t have the luxury of making so many mistakes with a budget like ours. We have to focus on young talents like Roger Ricort did with Apam, Diakité, and Ederson. We’re aiming for the long term. We are financially healthy. If tomorrow, we need to bring in an established player, we will not hesitate.
NP: Would the shareholders be willing to invest more?
FG: That’s conceivable.
