OGC Nice finished in 4th place in Ligue 1 and will play the Champions League playoffs, despite a disastrous campaign in the Europa League and a mixed performance in the French Cup. Here’s a recap of the 2024/2025 year for the Les Aiglons.
“I have experienced an exhausting season.” In a few words, that was Franck Haise’s response to L’Équipe when asked to describe Les Aiglons’ 2024/2025 season. At the end of a long season, Nice managed to finish in 4th place in Ligue 1 — the best ranking for Nice in 8 years, granting them the opportunity to compete in the Champions League playoffs and the chance to partake in the elite club competition. “This fourth place is magnificent. We went through very complicated times. When we see the teams behind us, with 60 points and many goals scored, it’s a real satisfaction,” said the Azorean coach after their last game against Brest, marked by offensive prowess (6-0).
Mission accomplished for the Gym. For the second consecutive year, OGC Nice will compete in a European competition, a clear goal set by the management at the beginning of the season. As a guest on Ici Azur earlier this week, Fabrice Bouquet took the opportunity to provide an initial assessment. “The season is successful because the goal is to be a European club. We have clearly emphasized this for the past two years. We haven’t shifted an inch. Not only are we meeting our goals, but in some ways, we are even exceeding them,” analyzed the Nice general director.
A radical style change, the ability to perform against anyone
Above all, what characterizes this Nice under Franck Haise is their love for playing football, creating plays, and showcasing good football. A proponent of the 3-4-3 setup, the French coach remained faithful to this system on the Côte d’Azur. Despite a cascade of injuries last autumn, he stayed true to his principles and gameplay style, even amidst difficulties. More offensive, Les Aiglons finished the season with the 3rd best attack in the league and the 3rd best defense in Ligue 1 (tied with Monaco).
Another statistic highlighting the excellent season of OGC Nice: the red and black triumphed at least once against the Top 3 teams in Ligue 1 (PSG, OM, Monaco). On the player side, Evann Guessand’s breakthrough season is worth noting. The Nice striker had the best season of his young career (13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions). Finally, the match against Saint-Étienne last September will remain memorable for the Gym supporters. That night, Hicham Boudaoui and his team dismantled the Greens with an exceptional offensive performance (8-0), matching the record for most goals in a top-flight match.
A Europa League campaign to forget, regrets in the French Cup
This is the major lowlight of the 2024/25 season for the Gym. In the new Europa Conference League format, OGC Nice never managed to compete for qualification to the knockout stage of the competition. After eight challenging matches, Franck Haise’s players finished in a disappointing 35th place (out of 36 teams), not securing a single win during this period. A reduced squad due to injuries, inadequate strategies, and prioritizing the league are some of the parameters that could explain these poor performances. Les Aiglons ended their bleak record with six defeats and two draws.
“Our season was really complicated. We lost players to serious injuries. We lost others at the end of the season. We were not very consistent. But, even in very difficult moments, we stayed the course, with the players and the staff,” said Franck Haise optimistically. Another disappointment for the Gym was the underperformance in the French Cup, against Stade Briochin (N2). The pathway in the competition was starting to open up, leaving everlasting regrets for OGC Nice.
The club is now looking towards the 2025/26 season. The next year promises to be promising for the Azorean club. It also promises to be long and full of twists. The players will return to training very soon, likely by the end of June. The first red and black objective arrives very soon. The Champions League playoffs are scheduled for the beginning of August. Work must begin promptly. Meanwhile, the management must also handle the summer transfer market. It is expected to be busy for the Gym, which will have to contend with financial constraints. Some players are also rumored to be leaving, notably Evann Guessand and Marcin Bulka. In short, the summer promises to be eventful on the Côte d’Azur.
