Monday 1 July 2019. On the first day back at training of the summer, the supporters were in their masses behind the fences. All of the ingredients were in place for a successful start to pre-season: Red and Black shirts, smiles and accents ringing around the place. Amongst them, three suggested distant origins. From much further than the Comté de Nice and even its continent.

“He even converted his girlfriend” 

We are, of course, talking about Cooper, 14 years old, and his parents, Patrick and Tracy . “I am the number one OGC Nice supporter in the USA” delighted the youngster. “My dad bought a special box which allows us to watch all of Le Gym’s matches on TV.”, explained the pichoun from Atlanta (USA), who proudly wears the club’s colours 7,600km from the capital of the Côte d’Azur: “shirt and shorts in the summer, jacket in the winter”. “Thanks to me, all of my school knows about OGC Nice.” “He talks to me about the club all day, confirms his mum. He even converted his girlfriend!” 

“To see Nice face Marseille...” 

But how did this inhabitant of the capital of the State of Georgia become such a super fan of OGC Nice? The explanation comes from the previous generation. A Nice expat in the States, Patrick was able to transmit his passion to his son, who “dreams of watching Nice face Marseille, in the Populaire Sud. And this year, it falls on my birthday (weekend of 24 August). And I really don’t like Marseille.” 

Whilst waiting for his dream to come true, Cooper will return to the US and the “soccer” pitches. “He plays up-front, and he is really good” explains Patrick. From there to wearing the OGC Nice colours one day? “I will need to be very, very good” responds the youngster in impeccable French. “It would be magical, a dream... but whatever happens, I will always be one of the biggest supporters. And when I will be old, I will follow OGC Nice all over, like ‘Le Berger’!”

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