On January 29th, the president of OGCN, Jean-Pierre Rivère, made a surprising announcement: he had secretly and unilaterally negotiated the purchase of the Nice club by a prince from Saudi Arabia, who was so shy he didn’t want to reveal his identity.
Thus, the Gym was about to enter a new dimension, and the PSG with its modest emir from Qatar had better watch out because they were going to snatch Zlatan. The deal was sealed.
But then, disaster struck! Two weeks later, it was revealed that the transaction would not go through due to an obscure issue regarding payment deadlines. Just a few days late. On this matter, the President said, “Perhaps it was an excess of caution on my part. Maybe I was a bit too rural in my approach.”
So, the person who for a moment took us to see a mirage like Tintin in the Land of Black Gold is playing the sly peasant trick. Fouchtra!
Who are we kidding? In reality, it’s all the people of Nice, whether they are football fans or not. Indeed, while OGCN is a private company, Allianz Riviera is not exactly one: this stadium, moreover neglected by spectators, is going to cost Nice taxpayers a fortune in conditions highly criticized by the Regional Chamber of Accounts.
Such an investment deserves better than the inconsistency of any given leader. And in this respect, having transitioned in just a few years from the Marechal Pétain to Tintin is by no means a consolation!
by Patrick Mottard, President of PRG 06
