“Barring any surprises, Michel Leblanc… should become the new owner of the Gym’” It’s clear, straightforward, and precise, but since clarity, straightforwardness, and precision have been quite relative lately, it would be wise to wait a few days to be certain that OGC Nice is indeed changing hands. Maurice Cohen, who held a press conference on this matter within the club yesterday, also clarified, “To my knowledge, no takeover agreement for OGCN has been concluded. I learned a week ago that two of the club’s shareholders (Stellardo and Governatori) had signed a ‘letter of intent to sell’ a part of their shares. That’s not the same.” Contacted by phone, the shareholders have so far declined to comment on this announcement.
In the game of cat and too many mice, it’s again unclear which direction to take just days before the eaglets’ first home match, welcoming Strasbourg to open their points tally after the short yet still defeat in Caen (0-1). Certainly, we’re far from the spectacular and dramatic twists experienced last year, but it turns out that this announcement could well influence the continuation of operations within the Nice club. Especially since news rarely comes alone on the Var plains, it seems José Cobos has been given the go-ahead, and according to France Football, he could quickly be dismissed for economic reasons while the club opts for an “amicable agreement”. So, who wants the skin of one of the club’s saviors?
In the meantime, the only truth that matters in the football world still lies on the field, and Frédéric Antonetti’s protégés showed some promising signs in Normandy, even with a team lacking many regulars. Let’s hope that the return of key players to the squad will provide the necessary boost to avoid last year’s catastrophic season start.
