The Coupe de la Ligue chapter is closed. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter; the players had to turn their focus to the last three matches of the Ligue 1 championship. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter; after the emotions of a final, it’s hard to dive back into routine matches in stadiums five times smaller than the Stade de France.
“Winning: the directive for the last three days.” Nice is currently eleventh with 49 points. First, the Eagles will travel to Ajaccio, ranked 19th. AC Ajaccio is almost mathematically doomed to relegation to L2. Then, Nice will host Metz in the last home match at the Ray. Metz, bottom of the league, is already relegated to L2. This will be an opportunity for all the Rouge et Noir supporters to thank their team for a good season. On the 38th matchday, Captain Varrault’s players will travel to Troyes for a match with no stakes involved. Nine points out of nine is an achievable goal. Olympique Lyonnais hopes to reach 80 points to break the record. For Nice, the target is 55 points. Indeed, this was the points tally achieved by the team coached by Gernot Rohr when they returned to the elite in 2003. By exceeding 55 points, Nice could hope to qualify for the Intertoto Cup. This would be a great performance considering that OGC Nice has the 17th largest budget in L1.
Participating in the Intertoto Cup could allow entry to the final table of the UEFA Cup. History doesn’t necessarily favor this competition. It starts very early, requiring early physical preparation. The start of the season for clubs qualified in Intertoto is often laborious. Last year, Olympique de Marseille, Lens, and Saint Etienne participated from the beginning of July in this competition. Olympique de Marseille had a very tough start to the league. RC Lens and AS Saint-Etienne suffered physical drops during the season, likely due to the Intertoto. UEFA is just as demanding, especially when the squad suffers from quantitative deficiencies. RC Strasbourg, winner of the 2005 Coupe de la Ligue and thus qualified in UEFA, paid a heavy price and will play in L2 next year.
A Serene Future
The future may not necessarily go through the UEFA Cup except through the Intertoto. The club continues its construction. Maurice Cohen, the president, has established a program to raise OGC Nice progressively in the French hierarchy. Three seasons to stabilize the club in the elite: mission accomplished with Gernot Rohr. Three seasons to stabilize the club in the top ten: the first step is about to be achieved with Frédéric Antonetti. The Gym exudes serenity and strategic thinking with a coordinated triumvirate consisting of Maurice Cohen, the president, Roger Ricort, the sports director, and Frédéric Antonetti, the coach.
Supporters can be reassured. The 2006-2007 version of the Gym team will be improved. The players and the coach get along well. Frédéric Antonetti has managed to extract the essence of his squad. The players adhere to the coach’s speeches. Two proofs: Marama Vahirua extended his contract although he was solicited during the winter transfer window, and David Bellion wished to stay on the French Riviera even though he was under contract with Manchester United. Ederson, the brilliant young Brazilian, should also definitively belong to OGC Nice. A principle agreement has been reached between Nice and Juventude. The official signature will take place soon. The daily and colleague L’Equipe announces the extension by the end of the season of four other players: Olivier Échouafni, Jacques Abardonado, Rod Fanni, and Jérémie Moreau. The only uncertainties among the most used players concern Florent Balmont and Mamadou Bagayoko, on loan from FC Nantes.
Regarding reinforcements, adding the return from loan of the Troyes defender Boucansaud, OGC Nice would aim for at least one reinforcement per line. Frédéric Antonetti specifies in an interview with Jean-François Malatesta in Nice-Matin from April 24, “an arrival will always be made to improve the squad.” Analyzing his lineups and the rotations made at certain positions, one can predict the positions he hopes to improve even if he had to face injuries that slightly distort the analysis. At fullback, Cédric Varrault and Rod Fanni were alternately victims of injuries. Bill Tchato and Florian Jarjat took over with varying degrees of success. The staff will undoubtedly try to strengthen this sector. Then at the position of offensive midfielder. Yann Lachuer, the number 10 from Auxerre, is at the end of his contract. He admitted to having been contacted by Nice from February. In midfield, in case of a desire to leave from Florent Balmont, a replacement will have to be found. Drissa Diakité, even though his performances have been convincing, will not be given the role of an indisputable starter. In attack, if Mamadou Bagayoko is not retained, the club will be busy looking for a forward in the same style who weighs on defenses. Another hopeful factor: the OGC Nice version of 2005-2006 seems to have an interesting margin for progression. Among the “key players,” only three are in their thirties (Sammy Traoré, 30, Cyril Rool, 31, Olivier Echouafni, 34). They represent the experience. The rest of the squad has an average age of 25-28 (Cédric Varrault, Pancho Abardonado, Marama Vahirua, Sébastien Roudet, Florent Balmont, Rod Fanni). David Bellion and Baky Koné (both 24) who were discovering L1 do not seem to have reached their footballing peak. Ederson and Hugo Lloris, just 20 years old, are gems. Well-advised, they will explode under the red and black jersey.
OGC Nice has a future. Provided there is a continuation of this perceptible harmony between the president, the technical staff, and the players, so that the club’s ascent is not concluded by the cruel defeat against Nancy last Saturday in the Coupe de la Ligue final. This defeat must serve as a springboard. Response during the last three championship matches to end the season well.
Rumors:
Since supposedly a media outlet must share rumors, we can mention a few names knowing that none have come from the mouths of Maurice Cohen, Roger Ricort, or Frédéric Antonetti:
In defense: Jérémie Berthod (Lyon), Cyril Jeunechamp (Rennes)
In midfield: Julien Sablé (Saint Etienne), Yann Lachuer (Auxerre), Pontus Farnerud (Strasbourg)
In attack: Daniel Cousin (Lens), Ilan (Sochaux).
