At the top of the Nationale championship, Stade Niçois was halted in its stride by the suspension of the championship in October, even though it could have continued.
“We were supposed to continue,” says Patrice Prévot, the club’s president, who regrets that the majority of the clubs pushed to stop the championship.
The manager elaborates on his analysis and expresses his considerations: “It’s frustrating because we realize that we are moving at two speeds in this intermediate division. We believe that having many players under professional contracts and being authorized by the state to continue, we should have continued. Economically, some made the calculation that it was preferable to stop, or it’s all a pack of lies with some pushing to stop because it was in their interest. What’s most surprising is that they exposed this openly. If we had been at the bottom of the standings, I’m not sure we would have made this type of proposal.
The ambiguity probably comes from the fact that it’s the first season of this championship, which still runs on the Federal 1 template. We are in a transitional year. Next season there will be specific requirements for the Nationale, and we will have more clarity.
What we are demanding is the resumption of the championship, at least in January. That the matches that have been played count because some clubs have proposed to redesign the championship with two pools of 7, but we believe that doesn’t respect equity. We rely on the Federation’s regulations to request the resumption of the championship, to play all the matches we can play, and if that is not possible, to make allowances. We can imagine eliminating the final phases to catch up on as many matches as possible. The essential thing is that this championship is representative of the balance of power over a season and allows two clubs to be promoted.”
