On the occasion of a ceremony organized at the Villa Masséna, the OGC Nice players were congratulated for their exceptional journey that led them to third place in the championship.
Smiles, smiles, and more smiles. The fifty children invited to attend the ceremony are jubilant. They are going to see the OGC Nice players, their idols, up close.
They are gathered in front of the stage, in the garden of Villa Masséna. A stage specially set up for the occasion, celebrating the Aiglons for their exceptional journey.
At around 11 o’clock, the players arrive. The children scream with joy, as if they were seeing rock stars arrive. During a ceremony presented by Fabrice Mauro, the Gym’s announcer, all the team’s players (except for a few absentees) are invited to come on stage one by one. Then it’s the staff’s turn.
“On behalf of Nice, thank you for offering these hours of glory”, praised Mayor Christian Estrosi. “This ceremony is the moment when the city of Nice pays tribute to this extraordinary team. Jean-Pierre Rivère is a great president and he is the president of one of the greatest French clubs.”
“For 41 years, we had not been on the podium,” continued the mayor. “This year, thanks to them, we are there, and deep down inside us, we have been thrilled. A city, a people, and a desire to win, it’s all intertwined.”
The players then engaged in a very long autograph and photo session with their young fans… and also the older ones. Those who had been waiting for this for so long, as Jean-Pierre Rivère recounts.
“Young people aged 25 – 30 tell me they have only known hardship and that what happened last year and this season, they have never experienced it, so they are very happy. And then there are people my age who say they’ve seen this 40 years ago and that it’s nice to see these kinds of things again. Although the task is difficult, I hope we can relive moments like this.”
Nice saluted its champions. These players who had paid such a beautiful tribute to the city on August 14, 2016, one month after the July 14 attack. This historic season is just a fitting reward.
