Nice supporters had devised a powerful encouragement for this first Nice championship match: a huge banner with an imperative slogan, “kill the boss,” referring to the French champion team.
But Paris did not fall and, on the contrary, gave Mladen Kasic’s players a lesson in play that will be useful for the future.
The Nice team started the match with enthusiasm but it only lasted for part of the first set, then the lights went out and Paris became a hare that one chases knowing that it will never be caught.
This is a snapshot of a match where the Nice team was reduced to a role of a sparring partner against a well-organized team that, at least for the moment, is in another league.
Nice must continue its journey of readjustment to a championship that will not be a walk in the park, far from it.
Last night’s defeat at Palmeira should not be dramatized but Nice must quickly find its cruising speed to understand what level of ambition it can have this season.
Final score: Paris-Nice 3-0 (25-17 / 25-13 / 25-11)
