For the second consecutive year, about twenty fans (randomly selected) had the privilege of attending a guided tour of Allianz Riviera. With very special guides: Arnaud Souquet and Pierre Lees-Melou, players from the Gym. Just that!
In a joyful and cheerful atmosphere, the two Aiglons were able to reveal the “behind the scenes” to these delighted supporters who heard anecdotes and locker room rituals recounted by the two players. From the locker room to the pitch, including the conference room and the mixed zone: Allianz Riviera holds no secrets for them today.
The randomly selected supporters all hold the VISA card in the colors of OGC Nice, distributed by Crédit Agricole, Gym’s partner and organizer of the operation.
The two Aiglons thus discovered 4 key areas of the Allianz Riviera:
Conference Room: To start the visit, the two players showed the Nice supporters the conference room. Lees-Melou was able to explain how the presentation conferences for new recruits work, as well as the press points that precede each match. Regarding the meetings at the Allianz Riviera, the two Aiglons explained that Lucien Favre (and the opposing coach) must go to the press conference room to answer journalists’ questions within a maximum of 30 minutes after the match.
Locker Room: The visit continued to the Aiglons’ locker rooms during which the players detailed the preparation for a typical match at the Allianz Riviera. The players start with a “pre-warm-up” in the room (where there are bikes and other warm-up accessories) before continuing on the field and returning to the locker room to change into match attire.
After the matches, Arnaud Souquet recounted the cheers during the victory evenings, usually led by M. Sarr since Nice – Rennes (his first match and first goal as a professional) last season. The players were also able to show their usual spot as well as the balneotherapy room (hot bath, cold bath) where they go after matches to promote muscle recovery.
Pitch Side: The two Aiglons then showed the stadium from the pitch side and detailed their warm-up (races, ball games, shooting on goal…), their first games, the fervor of the stadium thanks to the supporters, or even talked about the OGC Nice bench where the staff and substitutes sit.
Mixed Zone: The visit concluded with the mixed zone, “a mandatory passage for every player before going home, whether you win or lose you have to comply, it’s part of the job,” said Pierre Lees-Melou, even though “you would obviously prefer to talk to journalists only when you win” (laughs) added Arnaud Souquet. The players then simulated a “passage through the mixed zone” with the visitors in the role of journalists while enjoying the cocktail that concluded this wonderful visit in the best way.
Arnaud Souquet: “It’s an opportunity to share more intimate moments with the supporters and to take advantage of it to let them discover a place they might not be familiar with. Stadium tours happen every day but being able to personally guide the supporters is really nice. It made them happy. It went really well, they asked a lot of questions that we don’t necessarily think of, so we clarified some points for them. We were able to show them a magnificent stadium while recounting some funny anecdotes they didn’t know.”
Pierre Lees-Melou: “It’s always a pleasure to talk with them, to laugh and to answer their questions. It’s nice to see the supporters in a different context and I think we were good guides!”
Brice Magini: “I participated in the draw via Crédit Agricole’s Facebook page and was lucky enough to be selected to visit Allianz Riviera. It was very enjoyable, we visited everything we needed to see: the locker room, the pitch side, the conference room, and the mixed zone. We could ask all the questions we wanted, and they answered everything, whether it’s Pierre or Arnaud, which is really cool. It lasted a good 2 hours so we were able to really interact with them.”
Jean-Baptiste Lomellini & Carla Beaudon: Jean-Baptiste: “We are the lucky winners of the draw on Crédit Agricole’s Facebook page to participate in this visit with the players. We really enjoyed it; we had the opportunity to get close to the players, take a stadium tour and receive many anecdotes from the players. We absolutely loved it.”.
Carla: “It’s weird to see them in real life; we’re used to seeing them on TV or in the stadium but it’s not the same. Here we were able to chat with them and take photos, so that’s nice.”
François and Enzo Carzo: François: “A warm, friendly moment. Two really great guys who listened to both the adults and the kids. Not holding back, honestly very good!”
Enzo: “It was good, they showed us the stadium and they made us laugh a lot too.”
