“Perhaps we respected them too much” … A phrase repeatedly echoed by the coach and players after two successive failures against the Marseillais at Ray, in 2007 and 2008 (0-2). In the heat of the moment and even in hindsight. A communication error for some. A lack of arguments explained by the defeat for others. The supporters’ depression began here, faced with disappointment but also in protest against the glaring lack of desire shown by the red and black team and excuses that do not hold up, during this somewhat special derby that goes beyond the scope of football. Not considered as such by the national media.
A sporting encounter that encompasses all the resentments, ambitions that are the consequence of a series of episodes that make up the history of the Southeast. A match that channels all the rivalries between two sides that, geographically separated by 200 kilometers, hardly appreciate each other. One is the capital of the PACA region, the other depends on it despite its urban area of one million inhabitants… Some decision-makers would even like to change the regional acronym to a simple and clear “Provence,” but ignoring the reality of Nice’s specificity and its County on one side, and the Alps on the other. The people of Nice have always had a hard time facing an overbearing neighbor, with their list of grievances such as the delicate question of the absence of a Court of Appeal in the Alpes-Maritimes. A list of examples as long as a letter to Santa Claus.
And football in all that? It has become the “tensiometer,” the one that measures ills and soothes moral wounds. For the vox populi, it is in a way, for over 30 years, the true representative organ of a territory, a culture, symbols, or values, etc… An emotional relationship that brings out feelings that everyday life does not provide. It makes people dream where society has failed.
A match approached like any other by the visitors. In Marseille, they are more concerned with Paris and its region, having become the number 1 enemy. In Nice, however, they mainly try to clean up their own backyard, with the numerous Phocaean jerseys, symbols of football business, populating the streets of France and Navarre, becoming intolerably provocative for those who deeply and sincerely love the Gym and its colors… According to a recent Google study, the words “Olympique de Marseille” are the second most used by the French via the famous internet search engine… Behind Secret Story. The A flu itself is beaten. The Girondins, Gourcuff, and their victory over Juventus are far behind. Stephen King spoke of “Monster crowd” in his novel “The Long Walk” when he evoked the overwhelming weight of a blinded majority, in a world searching for a model. At all costs.
It is difficult then to make a place for oneself against a club that has become as cold a brand as the swoosh or the three stripes, which constantly receives media honors that have worn out the supporters of more successful teams such as Bordeaux or Lyon. But never mind that national recognition has never been its strong suit, OGC Nice and its supporters know who they are, what their values are, and why they uphold them. The players, for their part, should feel this palpable pressure that forces them to excel even more than usual in the approach of an event that is a starting point for moods and even future crowd attendance. It is not a gala match. It is a matter of honor and pride. And if everyone does their part, even in defeat, Ray will resonate, the old stadium will shine. Everything must be given.
