On Tuesday, in a half-hour press conference, OGC Nice president, Jean-Pierre Rivère, and Director of Football, Julien Fournier, discussed the appointment of Christophe Galtier as the new coach of Les Aiglons. The coach was present with them and also revealed the motives of his choice. The three men then defined the goals for the 2021-22 season.

JEAN-PIERRE RIVÈRE: ‘A CORNERSTONE’

The first words of the press conference were reserved for President Rivère. He quickly declared himself "very happy to have Christophe Galtier with us. We had a double objective: to have him as coach for next season and those to follow, in order to continue the project, because the coach has always been the cornerstone of our project, and to start the first training session with him. That was the case. I welcome Christophe and congratulate Julien Fournier for the work he has done, once again, as well as Bob Ratcliffe."

"Every time we have brought in a top coach, even one who was perhaps too big for the Club when he arrived, we have performed well," continued Julien Founier. "Today, for OGC Nice, signing the coach from the French champions, who has been named Coach of the Year three times in France in recent years, yes, it is a sign of our ambition." 

While the deal has finally materialised today, discussions began a long time ago, as the Director of Football confirmed. "Transfers are a question of timing. Bringing in a coach too early is sometimes a mistake. Christophe has arrived at the club at the right time. We had spoken a lot before he went to Lille. At first, I didn't think Lille was a good choice for him. Obviously I was wrong, as it turned out to be the right move. He continued to grow, to progress. His time in Lille also allowed him to work with a foreign staff that was a new and rich experience. We are coming off the back of a complicated season, I think he is the right coach at the right time for the Club."

BROUHAHA

"That these things take time is perfectly normal," acknowledged Christophe Galtier. I let the OGC Nice board manage the dossier. The most important thing is that I am here today, in front of you." The said board, with one unified voice, revealed some key information concerning the 'dossier.' "There was a period of confusion involving certain people who, for me, had no business getting involved in the issue," declared Jean-Pierre Rivère. "There's no point pouring fuel on the fire. The three of us can look each other in the eyes. We know that we did things the right way. It took time but that's normal. When you get a very good player or a very good coach, it's often like that. Talking for the sake of talking doesn't help."

"If I can add something on the subject," Julien Fournier continued. "Both on a personal level, concerning Christophe, but also concerning a club that was competing for the title, we deliberately chose not to interfere and not to pollute the atmosphere around the team and Christophe. I'm not saying that it's thanks to us that he won the title, he did a great job, but we absolutely had to stay out of the picture. That's why nothing was started before the end of the season."

CHRISTOPHE GALTIER: ‘NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH’

In front of the journalists, the new coach of the Gym explained his choice to join Les Aiglons. "It was clear in my mind. Quite quickly during the season, I had made the decision with my entourage and my family to leave Lille and LOSC, regardless of where we finished in the league. From that moment on, I looked at the opportunities and projects that could interest me. I quickly thought that the INEOS - OGC Nice project could suit me, in relation to what I can do and what I want to do. Going from the French champions to Nice might raise the odd eyebrow. But I know what I want, I know where I want to go. I am convinced that it is the right project in relation to what I expect to do with the rest of my career."

"It wasn't money that motivated me, as I've been reading for weeks. If it was money, I don't think I would be in Europe anymore. In Nice, we're not starting from scratch. There is a structure, an infrastructure, a strong potential.  Nice took part in the Europa League last season. They had a difficult season, with incredible injuries, a combination of things. I'm not going to comment on that. When I took over from Alain Perrin at Saint-Etienne, we saw where the club was and what we did together. When I arrived at Lille under the presidency of Gerard Lopez and the advice of Luis Campos, we were also in a bad position, only to finish very high. Maybe this is just the type of coach I am."

"I am not one of those coaches who ask for guarantees. I understand the project. We're going to work together and make sure we have a competitive squad. Then, between what we want and what will happen, nobody can know. What is certain is that we will work hard and that there is ambition. I thank Jim and Bob Ratcliffe, who are very ambitious people." 

Christophe Galtier and Bob Ratcliffe

THE AIM: ‘TO BUILD A TEAM’

What will be the objectives of OGC Nice in 2021-22? "In all modesty, I think we have a lot of good players, but that we have not yet been able to be a good team," replied Julien Fournier. "This team needs to be strengthened, but above all it needs to become a team. We won't set a goal to finish in a certain position on the ladder. What is important is that we are driven by the competition and that we compete until the end." "I consider that the coach has an essential role in this objective," added the president. "We are convinced that Christophe has all the qualities to take OGC Nice where we want to go. Afterwards, a season is played out on so many little details that we can't predict finishing in such and such a place. There is a lot of work to be done and we will all make efforts to get the club where we want it to be. But to give precise stages and deadlines is impossible. That's football."

"OGC Nice has recruited players with great potential," added the coach. "Potential is one thing. In Lille, we talked about it a lot. We were saying that we had to create a team, because nothing is better than the team. It's not the players with great potential who make you win, it's always the team. That's what we're going to put a lot of emphasis on throughout preseason, during the season and in the seasons to come."

"When INEOS arrived, we said that it was a long-term project and that we had to take it step by step," concluded President Rivère. Some steps are a little more difficult to take than others. Our objective has always been clear: to compete at the top of the table. That's the first step. The next step will be to stay there." 

JULIEN FOURNIER: ‘WE ARE NOT BEHIND SCHEDULE IN OUR RECRUITMENT’

Finally, there were questions about Les Aiglons transfer market. "It's far too early to make any definitive choices," warned Christophe Galtier. "It's only the first training session and not all the squad is here. We have brought in a lot of youngsters from the reserve team to make up the numbers so we can train properly."

"Generally speaking, we don't tell players they can leave, nor do we block them," the Director of Football concluded. "To reiterate, we are talking about an ambitious project. With the arrival of INEOS, we are trying to build on what we have already achieved. The difference is that now we are in a position to keep our best players. The club's objective is to build a team for the long term, to be competitive and above all not to sell our best players. We will do it when we think it is the right time to leave, for them and for us. The positions were identified quite early in the season. I was able to talk to Christophe quite regularly. We didn't fall behind schedule in our recruitment."

HIS MESSAGE TO THE FANS

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