Nice-Première: How do you feel after the cancellation of the Grand Stade de Nice construction project?
Patrick Allemand: First of all, let’s be precise. The prefect requested the cancellation of the City Council’s resolution by filing an appeal with the Administrative Tribunal. It’s not the construction that is canceled, but if the alleged irregularities in the tender process are recognized by the tribunal, this project would face significant delays. My feeling? Dismay at the mayor’s and his team’s inability to properly manage any major project without financial misconduct or technical irregularities. It’s almost becoming pathetic. However, the main victims are the taxpayers of Nice, who will once again have to mop up what promises to be a monumental mess, and the officials and fans of OGC Nice who have been exemplary since their rise in 2002 and who might see the club’s progress hampered.
NP: What is your opinion on this tumultuous Grand Stade project?
PA: A large stadium in Nice is a necessity, and it was about correcting the historical mistake of the transitional Bailet-Barety city councils, who missed the opportunity to have a grand stadium largely funded by the state as part of the 1998 World Cup organization. All major football cities in France benefited from this opportunity except us, who at the time refused. Now we will have to pay for it ourselves. I was more reserved about the chosen location (St Isidore) and the public-private financing model. This type of contract is extremely risky for the community, which takes on almost all the risks without gaining any benefits, except burdening future generations with heavy infrastructure.
That being said, from the moment the project was voted on and construction was about to begin, a responsible attitude was necessary, considering the interest of the club and the taxpayers. Hence, multiple appeals did not seem appropriate, except in cases of clear irregularities, of course. You will note that it was the prefect who requested the suspension order, and I never intervened in this debate.
NP: Do you think that behind this cancellation, there might again be possible corruption?
PA: I don’t know, but I hope not. I am waiting… I think it would be helpful to thoroughly analyze who shares responsibilities in the consortium that won the grand stadium bid. A discerning person might find some useful information there.
In any case, another corruption scandal would be catastrophic for the image of Nice. A responsible opposition cannot be satisfied with the prospect of recovering a city dishonored by a succession of affairs and which would take years to restore its image and credibility.
NP: Were you more “Ray e basta” or “Basta le Ray”?
PA: I was more “Ray e Basta” and I’ve said so publicly. I even dedicated a long file on it that can be consulted online [URL Provided].
Le Ray does have certain disadvantages, that’s undeniable, but not as many as St Isidore, according to my analysis. Particularly, in the Latin arc, stadiums on the outskirts consistently experience attendance drops. The best example is Turin. The stadium must be an integral part of the city. A football club is not just a company and fans are not just customers; the social dimension of football must be considered.
But seeing the project voted on and the construction launched, I had resigned myself and like everyone else, I was eager to see the Gym evolve in a stadium worthy of its name.
NP: How would you envision the new Stade du Ray?
PA: We are not there yet. But if the stadium were ultimately to be renovated in situ without rotating the pitch, it could not have a capacity greater than 27-28,000, which is, in my opinion, sufficient given the average attendances we have seen until now. The highest, around 15,000 spectators, dated from the 1951-52 season… For everything else, it must meet both the economic necessities of the club and its partners (suites, restaurant…) and the desires of the fans (cauldron effect, no athletics track, no upper and lower stand separation…)
NP: What name would you give it?
PA: If it remains at Le Ray, the stadium should continue to be called Stade du Ray. Anyway, I remind you that it already has an “official” name: the Léo Lagrange stadium, named after the Socialist Minister of Sports in the Popular Front government.
If the St Isidore project eventually comes to fruition, I would like it to be named after an emblematic sports figure. And in my opinion, the one who best symbolizes OGC Nice and its history is undoubtedly Pancho Gonzalez.
