An entire nation dreamed of it, and Claude Puel’s men made it happen by securing 4th place in the championship and thus qualifying for the next 2013-2014 Europa League. A cherry on top of an already beautiful cake which was this fine season for Dario Cvitanich’s teammates, once again a scorer, finishing as the second top scorer in Ligue 1 behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The final whistle has just been blown by Laurent Duhamel and the “Aiglons” have gathered on the Ajaccio field. The last seconds are playing out in Lille which has just had a goal disallowed for an offside position, and suddenly, it’s liberation. The match is over, and Saint-Etienne achieves a draw at Lille, thus qualifying OGC Nice for the Europa League. An explosion of joy that was a real pleasure to see for a group that achieved a tremendous feat, despite being labeled an “anomaly” by some commentators, widely praised by its supporters. The return of the “Aiglons” to Nice is tangible proof, with hundreds, perhaps even thousands of “Niçoises and Niçois” present at the Charles Ehrmann stadium to celebrate the qualification of their protégés.
“Tonight, it didn’t just depend on us, but we had to do our part of the job. By winning, we were at worst fifth, and finishing in the top 5 means something. Now, fourth, we can savor this moment. Once again, congratulations to my staff, to my players who have been huge this season. The club in unison has done a superb job.” Claude Puel can indeed savor this end of the season with the pleasure of duty accomplished.
The holidays will undoubtedly be very pleasant for the “Aiglons” who must already be eagerly awaiting the name of the first European club to come and challenge them in the lair of an Allianz Arena that could not have hoped for a better christening!
Photo credit: www.ogcnice.com A.D.
