While promotion to the Starligue was conceivable for Cavigal Nice, the men’s professional handball club was left disappointed during its playoff for promotion against Sélestat. Despite being ahead of the Alsatians in the standings, the club from the south failed to capitalize on a season that was expected to be successful. Far from being dramatic, this underperformance should further increase the team’s ambitions for the future with the short-term goal of promotion to the elite of French handball.
Sélestat will participate in the famous Final Four, which will decide the team that will join the regular season leader, Ivry, in the Starligue. Meanwhile, Cavigal will already start preparing for the next season, still with the same core players.
Despite Didier Dinart leaving his position as general manager during the season, the Nice club experienced real progress, as evidenced by the 4th place finish after being 7th last season. Following this decisive match disappointment, the area for progress is clear: better management of major events.
Nice continues its progression
A Double-Header That Leaves a Bitter Taste
Between the 4th and 5th in Proligue, no observer of French handball would have thought that this confrontation could not be exciting in terms of suspense and level of play. The logic was respected from the first match held in the Sélestat hall, which was perhaps even hotter than usual for these finals phases.
In a highly contested match with an intensity rarely seen this season, Sélestat took a non-negligible two-goal advantage at halftime. An advantage that the Nice team calmly clawed back, affording them the luxury of a draw from a venue where only five teams had managed to take points this season (1 draw, 4 wins).
To illustrate, Nice had suffered a heavy 29-22 defeat during the championship day in Alsace this season, which could have been seen as a disadvantage. However, nothing came of it except for a superb performance, marking their return to the southeast with an even stronger label as favorites.
Among the popular expressions in the world of sports and poker, there is the famous saying “to be K.O.” Regarding Cavigal Nice and its supporters, it’s hard to explain it better than after the disappointment experienced at home during the second leg of the Proligue playoffs. Thrown against the ropes and pressured from the first minutes of the match despite a solid draw obtained in the first leg, the club from the Côte d’Azur clearly missed this major event in the team’s season, even though they approached it with the status of favorites.
Nice narrowly missed the semifinals
Undoubtedly, Tanguy Thomas was once again the strongman for the Violets, much to the dismay of the Nice team, who were quickly calmed in their early match fury. Scoring eight goals, the left winger demoralized the Pasteur hall in Nice and enabled his team to win without ever being threatened. Sélestat secured their ticket to Dijon and the Final Four with a comfortable 32-28 victory, while Nice unwillingly went on vacation.
A setback that already steers the club towards the next season. And it promises.
The Progress Must Continue
This failed performance should not undermine all that was built this season by Eduard Fernandez and his men. On the contrary, it should highlight the positive points that need to be repeated next season to hope for a better ranking and potentially qualify for that famous Final Four.
With the second-best defense in the championship, Nice has long been challenging for opposing attacks as evidenced by numerous victories while conceding less than 25 goals—a great success in a league known for its offense.
The progress may need to come from the other end of the court where the artillerymen perhaps faced too much difficulty too often. For now, no new arrivals have been announced at Nice, but with an always solid base, there’s no doubt the club can again play a leading role in the championship.
