Tension is at its peak at OGC Nice. After the defeat at Lorient on Sunday night, the team’s return to the training center led to a tense confrontation between several players, the sporting director, and a large group of supporters. Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga were taken to task and filed complaints. Franck Haise seems ready to leave the club.
The team had left Lorient after a loss that extended a series of defeats. Upon their arrival in Nice, around 11:15 PM, the players found a dense group of supporters gathered in front of the training center gate. According to several media outlets, no fewer than 400 supporters were waiting for the players’ bus in front of the training center gate. They blocked the bus’s path and allegedly lit flares and sang to express their anger. A representative reportedly boarded the vehicle to speak with the group.
Several witnesses present reported insults and abrupt gestures. The first people to exit the bus were targeted. Florian Maurice, the sporting director, was reportedly jostled before being extracted by security personnel. The situation caused significant disorder. The players were “insulted, shaken, jostled by the angry crowd”, according to a police report cited by L’Équipe.
Following these altercations, Jérémie Boga was placed on sick leave for five days. He has filed a complaint against X. Terem Moffi was also hit. He was also declared on sick leave. The UNFP reacted strongly. “These physical attacks are intolerable,” stated the union. It specified having “immediately contacted” the two players and expressed readiness to “take civil action.”
Reports from other sources confirm that Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga were hit and insulted. Supporters criticized them for recent attitudes, notably gestures perceived as inappropriate after the defeat at Lorient or invitations extended to friends during a previous match. Florian Maurice was also reportedly hit. Yehvann Diouf, the team’s goalkeeper, allegedly intervened to help Jérémie Boga out of a hostile crowd. Both players, under contract until 2027, no longer wish to play with OGC Nice after these events. The scene reportedly lasted about 45 minutes. Franck Haise attempted to engage with the supporters. He admitted failing to maintain a united group for the “first time.” He assured he remains “ready for the fight.”
A club weakened and a coach ready to question his future
The management of OGC Nice published a statement in the evening. It expressed understanding for “the frustration generated by the series of poor performances.” However, it condemned the excesses and supported the club members targeted. The club described the acts suffered as unacceptable.
These incidents occur in a tense context. The locker room is marked by a profound lack of results. Franck Haise is contemplating his future. According to several internal sources, he has stated that the red line has been crossed. He is hesitant to continue his mission but should not leave the club as he had already expressed last week after the match against FC Porto. Despite everything, the coach might decide to create a shockwave or distance himself from a context where he deems the working conditions impaired.
The potential departures of Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga further exacerbate the uncertainty. The two players joined Nice in 2023. They are contracted until 2027. Their future at the club now seems compromised.
OGC Nice must face a crisis that goes beyond the field. The trauma generated by these new incidents weighs on the decisions to come. The club faces an immediate challenge: restoring a calm atmosphere and reestablishing a peaceful dialogue with the supporters. The task promises to be complex given the current environment of broken trust and high tension around the professional group. One thing is certain, something must change within the club.
