OGC Nice enters the final stretch!

OGC Nice enters the final stretch of its season. With seven matches left before the end of the championship, the “Aiglons” are still far from securing their place in Ligue 1. Claude Puel’s men also have a card to play in the Coupe de France, where the team is still in contention in the semi-finals of the competition. These last few months promise suspense, before a summer that could also be full of twists and turns on the Côte d’Azur. Here’s a complete overview of the latest stakes of the red and black campaign.

Five and ten points! That’s what separates, respectively, OGC Nice from AJ Auxerre, the relegation play-off team, and FC Nantes, the first relegation team, in the Ligue 1 standings. With seven matches left before the end of the championship, Claude Puel’s players still haven’t secured their survival and will have to fight until the end to maintain their place in the elite of French football. Before the break, Melvin Bard’s teammates once again showed too many defensive weaknesses against the leader, Paris Saint-Germain (0-4). Reduced to ten men in the second half – after the expulsion of Youssouf Ndayishimiye – the Nice team suffered from the lightning of a highly efficient and realistic Parisian attack in both penalty areas.

As for the schedule, the next few weeks will be far from restful for Nice. OGC Nice still has to travel to LOSC (weekend of April 18) and Olympique de Marseille (April 26). The “Aiglons” will also host the second-placed team, RC Lens. Finally, the Azur club will conclude its season with a confrontation against AJ Auxerre and the hosting of FC Metz, the bottom team of Ligue 1. These last two fixtures could prove to be decisive in the battle for survival. On paper, the “Aiglons” have an overall similar schedule in terms of level, compared to their direct competitors at the bottom of the table.

The program of OGC Nice

While the focus is on Ligue 1, it should not be forgotten that OGC Nice is still in the running in the Coupe de France. Qualified for the semi-finals of the competition, after an incredible penalty shootout session at Lorient (0-/5-6 pens), the “Aiglons” will face Strasbourg on April 22. In a disappointing season overall, this unexpected journey in the Coupe represents the only hope for the red and black supporters, who are starting to dream of a trophy. Everyone hopes for a return to the Stade de France, four years after the tragic defeat in the final against FC Nantes (0-1). Nice has the opportunity to write a new page in its history!

Away from the pitch, OGC Nice is also restructuring internally and administratively. According to L’Équipe, the tricky issue of a potential new owner would not yet be ruled out. The summer budget for the team will depend on this arrival or not. One thing is certain, the summer will be eventful on the Côte d’Azur. The “Aiglons” could see Jean-Pierre Rivère extend his interim presidency of the club. The entrepreneur – who made his comeback last December around the “mission survival” – is now open to any possibilities, having initially projected to stay only until the end of the season.

A Future with Puel and Rivère, but without Maurice?

“I came back for the survival. It’s underway, and we are also preparing for next year, knowing it will be complicated financially. We need to adapt, return to a less costly club operation,” revealed Jean-Pierre Rivère, in the pages of Nice-Matin. For him, the election of Éric Ciotti as mayor of Nice – a close supporter of Jean-Pierre Rivère – does not impact his functions. “It doesn’t change anything on the subject. I can handle both activities in parallel, as I imagined, there’s no alteration to the original planning,” assures the Nice president. The team is also preparing to make changes in its sporting director position. Unsurprisingly, Florian Maurice is not expected to continue the adventure. After a completely unsuccessful last summer transfer window, the director is expected to be shown the door this summer.

Several names have already been considered to succeed him. According to L’Équipe again, Nice has entered discussions with Gregory Lorenzi, who holds the same position at Stade Brestois. Having been in the position for ten years at the head of the sports management of the Breton club, he might be tempted by a new challenge. The former defender would correspond to the profile sought by the Nice management: a man of experience, capable of managing with tight budgets and a reduced recruitment team. In the summer of 2024, Gregory Lorenzi was very close to joining the “Aiglons.” At the time, a certain… Florian Maurice was favored over him.

Finally, there will also be the question of the identity of the coach of OGC Nice next season. Currently, the favorite to succeed Claude Puel is none other than… himself! Having arrived almost at the same time as Maurice Cohen and Jean-Pierre Rivère for this “mission survival,” the former coach of Lyon could be reappointed to his position. The former midfielder wouldn’t mind continuing the adventure at the Allianz Riviera. Other names have also been mentioned, such as the current coach of Angers, Alexandre Dujeux. The identity of the new Nice sports director could shed light on the remaining gray areas around this issue. The red and black project is vast, and there’s no time to waste!