As every season, the players of OGC Nice were officially presented to the press and supporters this Monday. In a packed Villa Masséna, the new president of the club, Jean-Pierre Rivère, delivered an ambitious yet measured speech. The deputy-mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and the president of the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes, Eric Ciotti, also spoke.
Solemn atmosphere at the Villa Masséna this Monday. A flag bearing the image of OGC Nice stands majestically above the podium. Supporters, journalists, and photographers mingle in a human swarm, reminiscent of a rock concert.
As soon as they exited the bus, Julien Sablé’s teammates were already spotted from afar by some supporters. Some children joyfully recognized the new recruits: “Hey, I just saw Monzon!”, exclaimed one of them, dressed in the club’s jersey, all excited. But like the Argentine defensive recruit, the Aiglons and the technical staff kept away from the cameras. And far from the supporters.
Until the speaker began calling the players one by one, in an order based on their shirt numbers. Thus, it was the goalkeeper David Ospina who was called to step onto the podium first. But it was the midfielders David Hellebuyck, Julien Sablé, and Anthony Mounier who received the most applause from the Nice supporters.
Rivère regrets incomplete squad
At the dawn of the 2011-2012 season, four of the five new signings (Didier Digard, Camel Meriem, Kevin Gomis, and Fabian Monzon) were presented to the supporters. The Peruvian goalkeeper Raul Fernandez has not yet returned from Argentina, where he was playing in the Copa America with his national team.
These reinforcements call for more. “We would have liked to present you with a complete squad,” said the president of OGC Nice, Jean-Pierre Rivère, almost sheepishly. It was an opportunity for the businessman to take stock of the transfers. He began by dismissing the Ludovic Giuly rumor: “It’s a rumor. And you, the journalists, are the ones who spread it. That said, it could be an opportunity. He’s a good player.”
Jean-Pierre Rivère also announced that three more players could still arrive on the Mediterranean shores, including a striker and a midfielder. Regarding departures, he affirmed that “no club” has made an offer for David Ospina. “He would have played in the Copa America; it would have been different,” he added. Before promising: “If, over the next two seasons, things remain calm on the sports side, the club will have completely changed its face by 2013.”
Ciotti and Estrosi act like supporters
Alongside the intervention of the Nice president, the elected officials also had their say. Conviction, emotion, and determination emanated from the speeches of the deputy-mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and the president of the General Council, Eric Ciotti.
It was the latter who spoke first, with great determination: “OGC Nice is the club of the Niçois. Every year, there is an unwavering attachment from the supporters to this club, which has the full support of the General Council. And we show it by granting 20 million in subsidies for the new stadium,” he proclaimed energetically, before shouting: “Issa Nissa!”
Christian Estrosi, on his part, recited the club’s record, emphasizing the nostalgia of the championship-winning era in the 1950s. “I want this club to reclaim the titles it once won.”
The deputy-mayor of Nice concluded by sharing this anecdote about his city’s candidacy to host the Euro 2016 in France: “I also took my responsibilities when I was asked, during a dinner at the Nikaïa: ‘So, Mr. Mayor, when are we getting this stadium?’ Such a project cannot be completed overnight. The fact that we were chosen among the eleven host cities of the Euro 2016 shows that our choices are the right ones.” A speech also punctuated with an “Issa Nissa!” Like a true supporter.
