A few weeks ago, the administrative regulator of the FFR made the heavy decision to demote the Nice club to F3 due to budgetary discrepancies.
It was a deficit of 99,000 euros, a minimal discrepancy compared to the club’s financial statement. Since then, the situation has been resolved thanks to an extraordinary grant from the City, approved during the last municipal council meeting.
The club’s appeal, assessed by a federal commission, mitigated but did not erase the sanction: no demotion but a penalty of 10 points in the standings, putting an end to dreams of playing in the finals for promotion to Pro2 (which, in sporting terms, was within the team’s reach as the victory last Sunday against the leader Dijon clearly demonstrated) and overshadowing the end of the season, with upcoming trips to Bédarrides and Hyères, and hosting Bourgoin on the last day for a match that could have been a grand celebration with the cherry on top!
In a statement, the club’s management wanted to comment on the federal decision: “We are obviously pleased that the DNACG was able to significantly reconsider its initial decision, even though we bitterly regret the sporting sanction. This experience, regardless, will remain a foundational stage of our professionalization from both a sporting and administrative perspective.”
Of course, breaking a leg is always better than losing your head! However, this episode, which does not detract from the club’s progress over recent years and the fine sporting season of its first team, is certainly not to the credit of its leaders.
Indeed, the oval ball often takes an irregular trajectory on the Arboras side!
