OGC Nice continues its restructuring with Lionel Letizi taking up the role of Head goalkeeping coach at the youth academy. Nicolas Dehon will replace him as the first team's assistant coach responsible for goalkeepers.

Goalkeeping coach since May 2012, Lionel Letizi has contributed to the development of David Ospina, Mouez Hassen, Yoan Cardinale and Walter Benitez. A fresh challenge now awaits him in his new role, created within the club's restructuring plan. "Julien (Fournier, Director of Football) and Manu (Pires, Youth Academy Director) laid out their project for developing the training of goalkeepers," said the former France international (4 caps), himself a graduate of the OGC Nice goalkeeping school.

"We established the ideal profile we wanted for the post. I proposed a list of names, and put mine on it too." He added: "I applied because the project really interests me. Ensuring the development of the club's future goalkeepers and giving them the means to succeed is something that really motivates me." 

His new role means Lionel Letizi will continue to pass on his wealth of experience as a player and coach at the highest level to the young goalkeepers at both pre-academy and academy level. After Emerse Faé, Cédric Varrault and Didier Digard, it is another of the club's former stars (111 appearances in all competitions) who will now participate in the development of young talents.

The club has a successor in Nicolas Dehon. A former goalkeeper at Troyes, he was goalkeeping coach at the Champagne club (2000-04) before filling the same role at Le Havre (2004-09), PSG (2009-10, 2013-17) and Marseille (2010-12) working with FIFA World Cup winners Alphonse Aréola and Steve Mandanda at the latter two clubs. He comes in to the club from Amiens, whom he had joined last June.

Photos IconSport

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