This week, Les Aiglons welcomed Simon Pouplin, the new goalkeeper of the red and black house, who will compete with Mouez Hassen. Presented at a press conference on Friday, the former Sochaux player comes to fill in for the injured Joris Delle, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture about ten days ago.
OGC Nice and its goalkeepers have had a complicated history, especially last season. Les Aiglons lost both David Ospina to injury for nearly two months and Mouez Hassen, then the number 2. A tough period for Claude Puel’s men.
And here we go again this season with the severe injury to Joris Delle returning from Cercle Brugge. Starting as a number 1 bis, the young Nice goalkeeper suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in training and will be out for 6 months. The OGC Nice managers had no choice but to search for a goalkeeper to compete with Mouez Hassen.
The Nice staff set their sights on Simon Pouplin, free since his contract with Sochaux was terminated last June. “It’s not easy for a 29-year-old goalkeeper to come for a trial. We were happy with his performance throughout the week and are pleased to welcome him to the team,” says Lionel Letizi, goalkeeper coach.
The former Rennes and Freiburg (Germany) player arrives as a number 2, a choice he embraces: “I wanted either to be a starter in L2 or a number 2 in a Ligue 1 club. I’m joining a club with excellent facilities, and I know my role will be to mentor the young goalkeepers in the team (Hassen 19 years old and Cardinale 20 years old).”
Still short of preparation, Simon Pouplin is not included in the squad that will face Toulouse this Saturday evening. The new number 16 hopes to be ready next week for the trip to Lorient. He is eager to discover the Allianz Riviera and the Nice supporters: “When I hear OGC Nice, I immediately think of great popular fervor reminiscent of German atmospheres. Nice has managed to incorporate the atmosphere of Stade du Ray into the new stadium, and I am impatient.”
