OGC Nice will play the return playoff against Saint-Étienne without fans on May 29 at the Allianz Riviera. The LFP disciplinary commission sanctioned the club following incidents during the FC Metz match. OGC Nice announced it would appeal the decision.
The Allianz Riviera will be empty for the decisive match to stay in Ligue 1. The Professional Football League disciplinary commission sanctioned OGC Nice with two full closed-door matches, including the return playoff against AS Saint-Étienne scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2026.
The decision comes after incidents that occurred last Sunday following the match between OGC Nice and FC Metz (0-0). In a statement, the LFP mentioned “use and throwing of pyrotechnic devices, pitch invasion and vandalism at the final whistle.”
The first leg, scheduled for Tuesday, May 26 at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, will also be played behind closed doors. The return match in Nice will therefore take place without Nice supporters.
Jean-Pierre Rivère had mentioned this possibility
Before the disciplinary commission’s decision, Jean-Pierre Rivère had already considered a closed-door match after the excess observed at the Allianz Riviera.
On Ligue 1+ microphone, the OGC Nice president declared: “perhaps the incidents will lead us to play behind closed doors, we’ll see.”
Jean-Pierre Rivère also reacted to supporter anger: “I regret the end, what happened. When we returned with Maurice Cohen, staying up was an objective. I believe that when you support a team, you must do so until the end, after that we’ll have time for all the criticism in the world.”
The Nice executive called for unity before the season’s final matches: “the most important thing is to stay in Ligue 1, there are two matches left for that, we’ll need to show a completely different mindset, a different attitude. As long as there is hope, we must support the team.”
A tense end of season for the Gym
Sixteenth in Ligue 1, OGC Nice must now play for its survival in a double-leg tie against AS Saint-Étienne who finished 3rd in Ligue 2 this season, on May 26 and 29, 2026.
Before this playoff, the Gym will also play the French Cup final against RC Lens this Friday, May 22. More than 15,000 Nice supporters are expected for this match.
Claude Puel refuses to sacrifice this final. The Nice coach believed that a positive result could help restart the team’s momentum before the playoff: “a final is important. It could be the best way, with a good result, to prepare for the two upcoming matches. So we’ll focus on this final.”
OGC Nice’s end of season could also create an unprecedented situation. In the event of a French Cup victory and relegation from Ligue 1, the Niçois club could compete in the Europa League while leaving the elite of French football.
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