On Friday, OGC Nice faced Lausanne (Swiss D2) in a friendly at the Allianz Riviera (0-0). A match that was preceded by a morning filled with conversations between the coaching staff of both clubs.   

Before the game, a delegation from Lausanne travelled to Le Gym’s training ground. Made up of the coach, his assistants, fitness coaches, video analysts, doctors, physios, etc., the group visited the facilities and then spoke with the Rouge et Noir staff over a pleasant breakfast in the sun. 

The conversations then continued into the heart of the training ground, before switching their focus to the preparations for the match at the Allianz Riviera.

 

“An intelligent line of communication, like there is between Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig”

 

Although the club from the Côte d’Azur has already crossed paths with LS in several pre-season friendlies, the context surrounding this encounter was, on this occasion, particularly different. The two clubs now have the same owner in INEOS, and the links between the clubs are likely to strengthen over the coming months, as explained by Julien Fournier, Le Gym’s Director of Football in the columns of L’Equipe on Saturday. “I went to Lausanne, and for me it’s a club that is completely different, with an identity. It will never be a sister club with Nice, but Lausanne can help Nice to achieve its objectives, and vice versa, like our academy at RC Abidjan. We have a scouting network that can help them, but Nice will never impose a player on Lausanne. I think that it will be more like the relationship between Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig. There are intelligent lines of communication and Salzbourg isn’t devalued by Leipzig.”

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