Less than 48 hours before the clash against Benfica, OGC Nice unveiled the new design of its stadium, the Allianz Riviera. A Nice identity will come down from the stands to support the Eagles this season.
OGC Nice will face the Portuguese team Benfica Lisbon this Wednesday evening (9 PM) for the first leg of the preliminary round of the Champions League. This Monday morning was the opportunity for the Nice club to present the new stadium display. Work was carried out during the summer. Some adjustments such as tarps and a flag have already been visible from the highway in recent days.
Customized corridors
Visible changes for players as soon as they arrive at the stadium. The club’s colors are highlighted on the first walls after the door. The first is “Mefi,” the iconic eagle of the city. A mural in honor of Kevin Anin, an emblematic player of the club, is displayed on the opposite wall. “A player who represented all the values of the club […] even though he never played in this stadium,” are the words of a club member. Further inside, the city of Nice is displayed. “The Promenade des Anglais,” “Old Nice,” “I LOVE NICE,” the port, all the city’s references are present.
Redesigned pillars and stair exits
On the 1st level, all the visible pillars of the stadium have been redesigned. About ten symbols marking the city of Nice are displayed on the different pillars. The king of the Nice Carnival, “Méfi,” a cannon, a castle, a supporter with his scarf raised. Small changes that make it possible to immediately recognize the Niçois identity.
The stair exits leading to the second level are covered with street art works. The group “Whole Street,” a collective of Niçois artists, is behind these decorations. OTOM, one of the artists, explains the group’s intent behind these colorful graffiti. “The objective was to give space to Niçois culture, in a mythical and significant place for every Niçois. We didn’t want to talk about football; that’s why, in the SOUTH stand, it’s not our works but those of the Populaire Sud group.”
A new president “thrilled with this project”
With the departure of Jean-Pierre Rivère in the coming weeks, it’s Fabrice Bocquet, his successor, who explained the reasons for this new design. “These changes are just a start and by no means a final goal.” The new design is marked by a new banner covering the seats of the third ring of the Garibaldi stand. This follows the announcement of a reduction of places for this season (27,000 instead of 33,000).
While some Nice supporters hoped that the stadium seats would become black and red, that’s not the case. The new Nice president explains this choice. “It costs several million, and for us, it wasn’t the priority choice to make. […] anyway, the goal is for the stadium to be sold out at every match and for no empty seat to be seen.”
A new display that some Niçois could witness, as they attended the public training. A crucial support for the Eagles, just a few hours away from a match that is already promising to be crucial for the rest of the season.
