After three defeats in three official matches, OGC Nice are going through a turbulent period. Between criticism of head coach Franck Haise, growing supporter unrest and uncertainty surrounding INEOS’s ownership, the Niçois have begun their season in a heavy and tense atmosphere.
The campaign has barely started, yet Le Gym have already suffered three setbacks. Beaten twice by Benfica in the Champions League qualifying round (0–2 home and away), Nice then lost 1–0 to Toulouse on Saturday in their opening Ligue 1 fixture. A grim sequence that recalls the 1965–1966 season, the last time the club opened a campaign with three consecutive defeats.
On the pitch, Nice lacked efficiency and commitment. Summer signing Yehvann Diouf did not hide his frustration:
“We managed to show a different face in the second half. We played with more intensity, and from the only real chance we conceded, we conceded a goal and lost the match. We lacked efficiency in both penalty areas. Obviously, it hurts — we’re gutted.”
At the post-match press conference, Franck Haise was blunt. The coach openly criticised his squad’s overall attitude:
“We’re not at our best. In the first half, we were missing a lot of things. It’s technically insufficient, but it’s also insufficient in terms of overall commitment. Some players are a long way off the required level.”
His anger did not stop there.
“Losing matches isn’t a problem — as long as it doesn’t happen too often. What matters most is what we put into a match. […] The absolute minimum is total commitment from the first second to the last. I even wondered whether I should change three or four players at half-time.”
Haise also pointed to the limits of a squad weakened by injuries and a late transfer window:
“I’m not going to panic after the first league match. But in the short term, what I see is that we’re lacking in many areas. […] Those who are here have to do more — and do better.”
Despite a more convincing second half, Nice were unable to turn the match around. The whistles heard at the Allianz Riviera reflected a tense atmosphere as early as August.
A Protest That Goes Beyond the Pitch
The sporting crisis is compounded by a deeper rift between supporters and the club’s ownership. On Saturday, even before kick-off, the Populaire Sud supporters’ group released a statement criticising the new kits, deemed disconnected from the club’s identity. The tone was unequivocal:
“You are a disgrace to us.”
After the defeat, the whistles further reinforced the sense of a growing disconnect with the fanbase. The following day, the protest escalated with a petition calling for INEOS to leave, the group having owned the club since 2019. More than 1,300 signatures were gathered within just a few hours.
The petition was launched by Loris De Gregorio, founder of the Nice Stadium Supporters community. According to him, the break is profound:
“We were all in favour of INEOS’s arrival in 2019. There were good things at the beginning, but today there’s no direction, no investment. Since the takeover of Manchester United in 2023, it’s clear that Jim Ratcliffe doesn’t care about OGC Nice. When he said in March that he doesn’t even watch Nice’s matches, that’s disrespectful and worrying.”
Anger has also spilled over onto social media.
“The majority of us agree: INEOS out! Ratcliffe, Bocquet and their crew out,” wrote one supporter, Jonathan. Others are hoping for a return of former president Jean-Pierre Rivère, who is due to officially step down tomorrow.
Officially, the club is not for sale. However, criticism is focusing heavily on economic policy. According to several sources, INEOS reduced the club’s budget by 15% this summer. Despite more than €70 million generated from several major player sales, Nice are said to have spent only around €20 million on new signings — arrivals widely viewed as insufficient to remain competitive.
The petition denounces “a catastrophic transfer window, without direction, without vision.” Its authors believe the club has become a secondary concern for Jim Ratcliffe, now focused on Manchester United. Their conclusion is blunt:
“The solution is obvious: find a buyer as soon as possible, if it hasn’t already been done — and get out.”
For now, INEOS has not responded. The club’s leadership remains silent as the anger continues to grow.
A Heavy Atmosphere as Early as August
Between disappointing results on the pitch, harsh words from the coach, protests in the stands and uncertainty over the owner’s long-term strategy, OGC Nice are navigating through turbulent waters.
Franck Haise has called on his players to “lift their heads” and promised strong decisions in the coming weeks:
“There’s only work. I’ll have choices to make, there will be changes because some players need to do much better and much more. But I can’t change the entire team either.”
In the short term, Nice must react on the field to avoid sinking further. That includes a positive home result against Auxerre this Saturday at 7 p.m. But the issue goes beyond immediate results. It also depends on recruitment that matches the ambitions expressed at the end of last season.
At this stage, it is the future of the INEOS project at Nice itself that has become the central point of debate.
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