On Friday, during matchday 28 of the 2017/2018 season, Mario Balotelli scored OGC Nice’s 3000th top-flight goal. Like a symbol.

History will remember this round figure which was achieved by the Italian star. Who better than he to put this moment into the history books… 

From a Cyprien corner that he met at the near post, with power and elegance after just five minutes of the game, Super Mario has found another way to leave his mark on this Red and Black’s history. And into the archives that will be used by the future editor of OGCNICE.com, to join the likes of Rolando Barrera, 33 years later. The Argentinian forward, during his only season at the club, scored the Aiglons’ 2000 goal in the first division on 16 August 1985, against RC Lens (1-1).

Qui mieux que @FinallyMario pour inscrire le e but de l’histoire du Gym en @Ligue1Conforama ? #OGCNLOSC - pic.twitter.com/DVf6Kjz1SV

— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) 2 mars 2018

Two decades earlier, one of his compatriots had taken Nice goal scoring to another level: Oswaldo Dandru. The Rosario born forward scored Le Gym’s 1000th goal in the top flight, during a victory over Bordeaux, on 19 September 1962.

Finally, the man at the start of this run of goals was born in one of the countries to have created some of the  immense artists of the beautiful game: Hungary. On 11 September 1932, Rezsö Lyka made his mark on French football, by scoring the very first goal of… the first professional league! After 5 minutes, at the Stade du Ray, against SC Nîmes, in a 2-3 defeat for the Niçois.

Constantin Djivas - Statistics Michel Oreggia

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