NOTice woke up after the break and overthrew Saint-Etienne (4-2) in a match marred by chants insulting the memory of Emiliano Sala, Wednesday May 11 at the Allianz Riviera, in a late match of the 36th daytime. Around the 9th minute, the chant heard against the former Nantes striker, who died in January 2019 in a plane crash, was as follows: “He’s an Argentinian who doesn’t swim well. Emiliano under water…”.
At the end of the meeting, the club communicated on its website its condemnation of these songs. “The club does not recognize its values or those of the entire red and black family in this unthinkable and abject provocation of a minority of its supporters,” the statement said. OGC Nice sends its support to the family and loved ones of Emiliano Sala”. From now on, the League will look into this file.
“I have no words to qualify what we heard. Upon returning to the locker room, there were no cries, no joy… but amazement. You can hear a lot of things in a football stadium. But there, where do insults against a deceased footballer come from. They came from a few people, but they weren’t just three, ”laughed Nice coach Christophe Galtier. “But let them stay at home with their bottles and their insults. If this is our society, we’re screwed. On behalf of my players, technical and medical staff, I apologize to Emiliano Sala’s family and to FC Nantes,” he added.
OGC Nice is getting closer to the podium
Completely missing their subject during the first 52 minutes, Christophe Galtier’s men woke up when they returned from the locker room. Logically led 2-0 after goals from Denis Bouanga (11th) and Zaydou Youssouf (45th + 5), they overturned the match thanks to the ex-Lyonnais Melvin Bard (1-2, 53rd), to a double of Andy Delort (2-2, 60th and 3-2, 62nd) and a nice volley from Hicham Boudaoui (4-2, 80th). OGC Nice, 63 points, thus goes back two points from the podium before receiving Lille on Saturday during the 37th day. Saint-Etienne, for its part, stagnates in 18th place, that of roadblocker, with 31 points. And allows Bordeaux, last with 27 points, not to be mathematically relegated yet.