Roger Ricort, sporting director, and Maurice Cohen, president, enter the press room at the headquarters of OGC Nice. They flank their new player, Emerse Faé. The Ivorian international steps away from his entourage, changes direction, and greets the journalists present one by one. This isn’t the news of the day. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Emerse Faé will be the best player for “Le Gym.” But this anecdote reveals the mindset of the new eaglet. The traditional course of the press conference for player introductions can resume. Maurice Cohen recounts the transfer: “It was a desire of Roger Ricort and Frédéric Antonetti since last summer. We are tenacious and don’t give up… just like on the pitch.” The virtual microphone turns to Roger Ricort. He confirms the words of his president: “We have been following him for two seasons, since a particular Nice-Nantes match where he crossed the field to score a goal. He is an excellent player. He didn’t play much last year. We hope he will be the David Hellebuyck of this season. We will help him because for two seasons, he has lacked pre-season preparation.” Then it is Emerse Faé’s turn to speak: “Since 2006, there have been contacts between the club and me. I felt that the club wanted me. It is a club that is structuring itself and has ambition. Like me! I had good impressions about the club. I knew some players directly or indirectly. Since 2006, Baky Koné (editor’s note: They know each other from the Ivory Coast national team) advised me to come.”
Emerse Faé seems pleased to join the red and black club. He is on loan but with an option to buy if he plays twenty Ligue 1 matches. But for him, he no longer belongs to the English club: “It’s a loan but I don’t see it as a loan. I am from Nice. I will do everything to stay with this club.” He is hungry for the ball. He played only eight matches in the Premier League. He mainly revitalized himself with the Ivorian national team during the African Cup of Nations and the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. He regrets his sports choice and owns up to his mistakes: “I was the club’s biggest transfer. Reading had been following me for a year. But the English don’t have the same vision of football. I didn’t have a good relationship with the coach. I felt like I wasn’t liked, that I hadn’t been wanted. As a result, I no longer enjoyed going to training. My mistake was signing without talking to the coach beforehand.” He won’t make that mistake again. Before committing to OGC Nice, he talked face to face with Frédéric Antonetti, the coach from the Côte d’Azur. A crucial moment. They didn’t discuss his role on the field. Emerse Faé defines himself as a “central midfielder who likes to move forward.” But there is no guarantee he will play in his preferred position on August 9 in Le Havre during the first Ligue 1 match day.
A native of Nantes, he has marked the two dates of the encounters between Nice and the Canaries (November 15 in Nice and April 18 in Nantes): “In England, I had the French channels. I followed Nantes’ matches. All my friends are still at the club.” The conference concludes. Maurice Cohen leads the journalists through the new locker rooms, finally worthy of a professional club with a sauna, jacuzzi, gym, and player lockers. Emerse Faé is part of the second tour. He visits calmly, chats with the journalists. The photographers take him onto the field for a photo session. At the end, he stays to chat. The rain, the good weather, the summer break, the stadiums, and the English audience. He recalls his goal at Ray on August 25, 2005 (1-1): “I hope the supporters don’t hold it against me too much. Although what was nice when I was at Nantes was having Michaël Landreau. Opposing supporters would boo him, and we were left in peace.” Simple, chatty, with a touch of humor. If all goes well on the field, Emerse Faé has everything it takes to become beloved by the Nice supporters…
