Interview

The President provides his summary of the season

Satisfaction and regrets. Looking back and forward. In an interview conducted for the readers of the official site, President Rivère gives his analysis of the season, pays tribute Lucien Favre, paints an image of his successor and confirms that he will continue to lead the project, for another cycle, alongside Managing Director Julien Fournier.

What have you made of this season?
Not having qualified for Europe is a regret. But given our budget, it isn’t really an objective set by the club when the season begins. Our story hasn’t changed. Each year, we strive to reach the top third of the league and at times we will manage to reach Europe. 8th remains an honourable finish and it puts the club in the top part of the table going forward.

With hindsight in a couple of weeks time when the disappointment of Lyon passes, it will still have been a good season?
Yes. But the two previous seasons were exceptional. We were walking on water last year. You can quickly forget things. We made it clear at the time that these were exceptions. You can quickly get used to the extraordinary. And when we are only good, I at times was tempted to look on and think that things were worse than they were, despite the fact that we eliminated Ajax away, we had the Champions League in Nice, we had a good run in the Europa League and we battled until the end for Europe in the league after having turned the season round.

This squad, do you think that it could have aimed higher?
Yes. It could have qualified for Europe again. We could have aimed for 5th place. It’s down to us to work, to be more efficient so that we are back in Europe in the future. The other regret is the elimination against Lokomotiv Moscow. There was a small chance to get through there

You say that the Gym could have secured 5th place. What was the side lacking this season?
They were capable of matching the teams that finished ahead of them, and to put in high level performances in certain games. But the squad’s inconsistency held them back. We lost too many points in games that we should have dominated. It needs to serve as experience for the future.

 

“We continue to drive the project by attacking the new cycle”

 

What is your main source of satisfaction?
We never abandoned our principles. And at times, we were able to raise our level. The important moment remains the qualification against Ajax. It wasn’t expected. It was a certitude that we get to go to at least the Europa League. And we know that we picked up experience for our young squad and provided them with ways to progress. Then, with our poor UEFA coefficient, we had to face Napoli. The step up was too high, but we could have reduced it. I am not saying that we would have won it, but we could have got a better result if we had played the game later on in the season.

Off of the pitch, the arrival of the new training ground was an important moment this season?
Yes. It was the product of a huge effort financially for a club of the size of OGC Nice. But when you want to progress, you need to look at the medium and long term. The foundations of the club are healthy. It’s a source of pride for me. The first year (2011-12), is one to forget, because we weren’t in control. When we really got our project going in 2012, we started from zero, without even a Euro in the tills. Since then, we have been able to assign money to structure the club. And today, we have a squad that has good value. That means that the club is now armed to face the future and the difficult moments that could arise. It’s a real satisfaction, that’s what it means to have foundations.

Since our arrival, with Julien (Fournier, Managing Director), every Euro earned has been  reinvested in the club, be that in players, structures, the recruitment of staff to take OGC Nice forward…It’s a permanent desire to consolidate the club. We have also always looked to keep the competitiveness of the team. This is what has allowed us to play in the top half of the league these last three seasons.

Despite this appraisal, not everything has been easy behind the scenes this season. What impact have these incidents had?
We won’t hide behind that. But it’s true that the energy that we have had to put in over several months alongside Julien to absorb this negative environment so that it doesn’t impact on the team, has worn us down morally. Not that long ago, we really asked ourselves if it was time to bring this great story to a close. But we are too respectful and attached to this club, to the staff who work here and to the fans to put the institution that is OGC Nice into difficulty. Nobody is irreplaceable. But we felt that the timing wasn’t right. We will therefore continue to lead on this project by attacking a new cycle. And we hope to grow OGC Nice even further.

 

“Thank you Lucien”

 

Even though the pressure was high this winter when the team was in 17th, you kept confidence in the coach. This faith paid off…
The pressure? We didn’t feel it. A change of manager was never on the cards. When we are convinced that our project is good and you analyse it in the light of day, there is no reason to change. We also showed that in the past, when results went less well with Claude (Puel) in 2014 and 2015. And we did the right thing, given the way the following season went (4th in 2015-16). To be able to stick with things allows a club to progress. It’s not healthy to go in all different directions when things get tough.

What is the legacy that Lucien Favre will leave behind?
Before anything else, we must thank him for the work he put in at OGC Nice. He continued to grow OGC Nice, like Claude had done before him. We are very happy for this new challenge for him and wish him the luck that he deserves. He is a professional but also a man of the highest quality. It was a pleasure to work with him. Our relationship was extremely good. As for us, we are not being caught up in the events. His departure was of course anticipated, and we have now been working for a while to find a coach who is in line with our project and is capable of taking us to the next level.

What is the profile that you are looking for?
A coach with the ability to continue to play good football, to bring through the young players by taking the risk to help them to grow, and who has that desire to win. And on a human level, we want someone with whom we enjoy working on a daily basis so that we continue to work together on this project, as we have done with Lucien.

The summer period which now begins marks the start of the transfer window. In terms of both arrivals and departures. Alassane Plea has already made it known that he has an option to leave, whilst rumours surrounding Mario Balotelli are, of course, also widely spoken of…
As we currently speak, no departure is confirmed. But it’s true that Alassane is arriving at a stage in his career where it would be difficult to prevent him from looking for something else. You have to respect that. We are here to help players to improve, that is the case with him. Mika Seri is in the same category. A very good player who has brought a lot to the club and can legitimately have that desire to go and play abroad. As for Mario, he is still under contract, with clauses that I will not be revealing. If he shows a desire to move on, we will wish him all the best, whilst being very happy that an exceptional player like he has spent two years with us. Arrivals and departures are part of the life of a club. We are very calm about that.

The season ticket campaign begins on Tuesday. What OGC Nice can the supporters expect in 2018-19?
Our ambition lies in wanting to take the club forward. That doesn’t mean to finish in 4th or 3rd… It’s a question of producing great football, making our fans happy, getting good results and strengthening the institution so that the club makes a name for itself in the future. We hope that we will have all of our fans and our partners with us so that we can have an even better season next year.