Despite investments, the results on the Côte d’Azur with the Swiss coach are a long time coming. The billionaire owners of Ligue 1 club Nice commit not only footballers but also squad members for a “new phase”. Lucien Favre should remain part of the major project.
Poor results encourage skepticism: Lucien Favre in Nice.
Coach Lucien Favre reports that the weather in Nice is pleasant and Favre is in a good mood. Everything on the right track with Favre and the OGC Nice? Possible, yes, at least from the Swiss point of view, although the results are modest and so far there can be no talk of a “grand retour”.
8 games, 8 points, 5:9 goals. In Ligue 1, only Ajaccio has scored fewer goals. Most recently, Nice lost a player in their own stadium after just 9 seconds because of a controversial sending off and then the match against Angers 0:1. These are not ingredients for joy and confidence.
After the defeat, the soon to be 39-year-old defender Dante felt compelled to defend Favre in the mixed zone in the stadium towards media representatives and to take responsibility for the club management. The tenor: The coach hasn’t had much time and there’s a lot going on in the club management. She wanted to do better during the transfer window, “but she couldn’t.”
After the 0-1 draw against Angers, Favre speaks about the dismissal of a Nice defender after 9 seconds of the game.
Nice is still in upheaval. A few days after French media floated the possible «après-favre», the club filled the post of general manager. This personnel and the search for a sports director launch “the new phase of the Ineos project in Nice”, says Ineos sports director Dave Brailsford quoted in a communiqué.
So it doesn’t seem to go on without Favre. But with him. And with new leaders.
Ineos announces new phase: in Nice – and in Lausanne
The British petrochemical group got into Nice in 2019, after the first two fairly successful Favre years on the Côte d’Azur (2016 to 2018). However, the project has so far received neither stability nor momentum. Ineos struggles in football. This also manifested itself in Switzerland last season with the relegation of FC Lausanne-Sport. A new phase has also been proclaimed there.
When Favre started in Nice in July as the successor to Christophe Galtier, who had moved to Paris Saint-Germain, the sports director was Julien Fournier. But it was only a matter of time before he would have to leave the club. Fournier was still making transfers, but they were not finalized. After Fournier, the Brit Iain Moody acted as interim transfer boss – for business in the summer. President Jean-Pierre Rivère also takes on executive duties and presents new signings.
The extent to which Favre was included in the search for personnel is the subject of speculation. Desired players like Yann Sommer, Marcus Thuram and Nico Elvedi (all Mönchengladbach) could not be persuaded to move to Nice.
In the club, the football skills do not keep up with the financial resources, which are plentiful. The result is (competence) gaps that are quickly filled. The bon mot is even circulating in the club that transfers have been made “so that transfers are made”. In the summer transfer balance, the club is in the red at around 40 million euros.
I don’t think that’s a Red Card. ?
Todibo, a defender from Nice, received a red card in just 9 seconds!— Doqtor (@Utd_Doqtor) September 18, 2022
Nice endures severe riots by spectators
As a result, Lucien Favre has an almost completely renewed team at his disposal. A lot is being redesigned, on the lawn, next to the lawn and in the executive office. In addition to mediocre results, other reasons are clouding the mood. There were serious riots in the stadium before the Conference League game against 1. FC Köln (1-1). This is repeated: last season the game against Marseille in Nice even had to be stopped due to riots.
In addition, the Favres coaching team came up for discussion. An assistant coach behaved so inappropriately towards a hotel worker in Ajaccio that he was suspended by the club.
As nice as the weather in southern France can be at times, Lucien Favre also imagined his return to Nice differently. What a contrast to his start in 2016, when Nice accumulated 20 points after 8 games. Already there at that time: the defender Dante, the advocate Favres. And: striker Mario Balotelli and midfielder Wylan Cyprien. Both are playing at FC Sion today. Balotelli scored 15 goals for Nice in Ligue 1 in 2016/17. And Cyprien was a top performer – until his cruciate ligament rupture.
That was long ago. Ineos is not yet on track with Nice. The next stop after the international break is tough for Favre: Prinzenpark, Paris Saint-Germain.