The OGC Nice captain has been given a boost by the pupils of a school in Levens as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Teacher Pascal Colletta has been a Nice fan since he was a kid, and so decided to mix business with pleasure with the children he teaches. When he launched a 'How to write a letter' project with his class, he was only too happy to suggest who they should write to. "I'm a big fan of Dante," he explained. "My pupils too. We like the man as much as the footballer. He's really a great guy."

'CHILDREN DO THINGS WITH THE HEART'

Léo, Lorenzo, Léa, Mathias, Kenza, Esteban and their classmates at the Saint-Roch school picked up their pens to write to the CommanDante, decorating their letters with drawings and stickers. "You're going to succeed in your recovery," wrote Mayson, Maxime, Haykel et Matthew. "Do you go to bed early?" asked Lisy-Lyone, Ambre and Anna, while Evan added warmly, "Take care of yourself!" All of them had a request in common: to meet Dante in person one day. "I would like that too, as soon as the situation allows," said the Aiglons' captain, who was clearly moved when he opened his letters. "It's fabulous. It really makes me very happy. It warms my heart to think I'm the subject of a school project. I have three children, and I know that every time they do something, they do it with their heart. If I were the teacher, I'd give them all 10-out-of-10, the whole class."

CARDS AND A SHIRT BY WAY OF THANKS

While waiting to meet his young correspondents, the Brazil international sent them a little present: a signed shirt. "It's the least I could do. Your support gives me a lot of strength to get back on the pitch. Keep working hard at school. La baieta!"

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