OGC Nice: Roger Ricort lays the foundations for a new era

For the first time this season, Roger Ricort and Maurice Cohen were able to speak to the press. After a difficult season, the two new strong men of OGC Nice are determined to start fresh on solid ground. The new sporting director of the Eagles was particularly clear on the Terem Moffi case.

“We don’t necessarily respect the man, but we respect the player.” For his first official media appearance since returning as sporting director of OGC Nice, Roger Ricort was crystal clear on the Terem Moffi case. Back from a loan at Porto, the Nigerian returned to the training center – like his teammates, except those involved in the World Cup – this Wednesday. The striker was strongly advised not to stick around on the Côte d’Azur. “He did what he wanted. He also knows he won’t be able to play at OGC Nice. I think it would even be disrespectful to our supporters if he (one day) wore the jersey again,” confirms the new Azurian executive.

While OGC Nice could have implemented a “loft,” as has been done in some French clubs, the Gym chose to respect regulations regarding the management of the Nigerian international. “He came back, we owe him training, he will train with the team normally. After that, he’s on the list of desired departures. He will surely, at some point, be transferred elsewhere. What’s certain is that we’ll do everything to transfer him,” assures Maurice Cohen. According to Nice Matin, the Eagles hope to wrap up his departure with a purchase option above 10 million euros. But his remaining two years of contract – which is estimated at nearly seven million – would make the deal complex.

Reconstruction at the heart of the project

It’s no longer a secret: OGC Nice will have to deal with significant financial constraints to turn the page on a particularly difficult season at every level for the Azurian club. Reconstruction promises to be long and difficult, and it will also require a profound change in the squad, with nearly 70M€ in sales expected this summer. “We need to make savings. That doesn’t mean we won’t be ambitious. I want people to be proud to come watch the team play. Even with a smaller budget, we can do better than last season,” believes Roger Ricort. A bridge with Manchester United, another club under the Ineos umbrella, should not be ruled out either, and it could even materialize during this off-season.

For this, two major principles are returning to the forefront: Nice’s identity and youth development. “I strongly believe in the values of a group, which I didn’t feel last year. We want to become a club with an identity again,” confides Ricort. The former club figure wants to put youth at the center of the project. “We won’t recruit a player we might already have at the academy,” insists the red and black DG. A way to avoid the Kaïl Boudache scenario repeating itself at the Allianz Riviera. After a promising start in the Eagles’ shirt last season, the young winger ultimately chose to sign his first professional contract with OL this summer.

Finally, in a press conference where all hot topics were addressed, Maurice Cohen announces that OGC Nice is suing Grégory Lorenzi. The former Brest sporting director, long rumored to succeed Florian Maurice, ultimately backed out of his deal with the Eagles at the last minute to join Olympique de Marseille. “He had signed his contract and changed his mind. We decided to sue him in court. We’ll have the first hearing in September,” reveals the new Gym president.