Two days before facing SC Albigeois at Stade des Arboras, Stade Niçois is preparing for a big match right from the first day. Hervé Moni, 49 years old, director and sports manager of the club for four years, answers our questions before the season begins. An interview focused on the goals, ambitions, and expectations of Stade Niçois for the 2020/2021 season.
An exceptional season that promises to be exciting as the club will compete in the new third division French championship.
What are Stade Niçois’ ambitions and goals this year now that the club will play in the new French National Championship?
One of the first ambitions is to qualify for Pro D2 next year. To do this, we have to be among the top four teams in the standings. Four places would allow us to be in a more favorable position to go directly to the semi-finals or possibly go through the playoffs.
Did the friendly matches give the team confidence over the summer?
We played two out of three matches. Due to the Coronavirus epidemic, we were only able to play two games against Hyères-Carqueiranne, a team vying for promotion to the National, and La Seyne. These are essential steps to start the season. We played against two very serious Federal teams, which allowed us to review our squad. After a six-month break, it was necessary to get the machine going again. The first step was to get back in tune. Two matches are very short. We cannot yet draw a definitive conclusion two days before the first day. These friendly encounters allowed us to restart because we know this season will be challenging, if not very intense. We must give nothing away if we want to achieve our objective.
Will the new arrivals, like Jean-Blaise Lespinasse, be able to prove themselves from the first match?
We have been training since the end of July. The newcomers already know all their teammates. Some have already proven themselves. After that, getting to know them in match situations is indeed a little less obvious due to the fact that we could only play two friendly matches. The idea is for the recruits to contribute instantly or as quickly as possible in terms of level of play. Whether Jean-Blaise or others are involved is the coach’s choice when making the list of 23 players eligible to play. All 37 players in the Nice squad will be called upon to play during the season. The advantage this year is that we have obtained more new recruits compared to last season.
There is the presence of new internationals like Uruguayan Agustín Ormaechea or the South African international from Stade Français, Lionel Mapoe. Do you think they will bring something to the team and the group?
Certainly. We are not going to rely solely on these two players; otherwise, we wouldn’t make it. We are counting on their level of play to bring something extra to the group. We play a sport where we literally need everyone, and we can only succeed collectively. It is clear that we expect particularly interesting performances from them. Now, the result of the game or the standings will not depend on just one or two players but rather on the work and commitment of the entire team.
Regarding the new arrivals, the level of play, and the measures taken due to Covid-19, do you think this will affect the team this season?
We are fortunate not to have any positive cases within the club. It is primarily the coach’s responsibility to know which player can play and who cannot. It is a strategic choice based on the game set up. We are lucky to have all our players in top physical form. Their selection? It will depend on their form and the team’s organization. We know their level of play perfectly and will do everything possible for them to play all season because we will need everyone.
SC Albigeois, semi-finalist of Federal 1 in 2018/2019, the match promises to be tough. Does Stade Niçois have to give everything from the first game?
The club’s goal is to continue evolving through the different divisions and approach the Pro D2 project. We need to aim for victory in the first match, knowing that SC Albigeois is probably the best team in the group. Certainly superior to us, but we have to do everything we can to succeed in this match. We cannot afford to say there will be another match to catch up in case of a defeat or if we hold back for the next one. We focus on the first day, with the objective of succeeding the best we can. We must concentrate on what is playing out here and now. But if we start to neglect the next steps, we will never have the opportunity to catch up. Once we have already made some progress in the championship, we will start to make an initial assessment to have a better angle of view compared to the other teams. In the meantime, on Saturday, we head to the stadium to face SC Albigeois with one goal in mind: victory.
