The message is clear: We’re aiming for promotion! After 5 years in Division 1, the Nice club believes in its chances for the upcoming season.
A club structured around President Jean-François Ropart and the young and dynamic manager Alexandre Duyck, with a consolidated and complementary technical staff consisting of Stanislav Sutor and Pascal Margerit, a revamped and strengthened team (7 new recruits), and the support of a municipality ambitious about sports… So, why not?
That said, while the goal is there, achieving it is not easy! 13 teams will start the first phase with 24 qualifying matches, followed by the playoffs for a championship title and potential promotion.
Not so simple, is it?
“We are aiming for the top 4, which is our minimum goal. After that, it will be a lottery like every year. We hope to draw the winning number this time,” Alexandre Duyck told us.
The squad will consist of 26 players (including 5 Slovaks, 2 Czechs, 3 Canadians, 2 Finns), but that doesn’t mean the club neglects training: 8 teams ranging from ages 4 to 21 serve as a pool for young Niçois wanting to play the sport.
The championship will start on September 6th, and the Eagles will host Toulouse at the Jean Bouin ice rink in front of their fans (the second largest audience of Nice clubs after football).
It will be an opportunity to debut with a new jersey (to be presented at the ASECA Tournament) that reflects the colors of the city: red and black.
Moreover, Jean Cobos (Deputy for Sports Events), present at the presentation conference, clearly stated: “The municipality is with you.” And as a good Samaritan, he announced an increase in the subsidy, which will go from €260,000 to €310,000.
Enough to give wings for the new season: We’re not “eagles” for nothing!
