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10 days after the end of the 2017-18 season and 70 days before the next campaign begins, OGCNICE.com offers you a chance to dive back, month by month, into the longest season in the Gym’s history.

Forced to rely on a masterstroke in May, the Aiglons were unable to secure a third consecutive qualification for Europe.

The story 

After stumbling along, the Gym needed to finish in form. The defeat at the Vélodrome against a Marseille side surfing  on a cloud (2-1) only served to confirm this. To hope to bring a long season with a happy ending, Mario and co. needed to beat Caen at home and then to pull another masterstroke out of the bag (another one) at Lyon during the final game of the season. If they could manage it, they would do what no other group of Aiglons had done in the club’s 114 year history: to qualify for a third consecutive European campaign.

Unfortunately, they only managed the first part of the deal. For their last home game of the season, they smashed Caen with a complete performance (4-1). But the week after, they couldn’t hold on against the Lyonnais. Despite an excellent match with an excellent opening goal and a brace for Plea, the Red and Blacks were brought down by a Memphis hat trick(3-2). This defeat - combined with the wins for Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne – left them in 8th place.

The key moment

The extra information 

Author of the best season of his career (18 goals in L1, 7 in Europe and 1 in the Coupe de la Ligue), Super Mario was rewarded by the new Italy coach, Roberto Mancini. 4 years after his last cap, the Nice forward marked his return with the Squadra Azzurra, by scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia, on 28 May. Before picking up a second consecutive appearance in his back yard, four days later against the Bleus.

#Azzurri
Il #gol di Mario #Balotelli contro l'#ArabiaSaudita !#VivoAzzurro #Nazionale #ArabiaSauditaItalia @FinallyMario @ogcnice pic.twitter.com/TYNjehPCEW

— Nazionale Italiana (@Vivo_Azzurro) 29 mai 2018

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