Here’s what OGC Nice coach Franck Haise had to say in the post-match press conference, following Les Aiglons’ 2-2 with Monaco in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Coach, what did you think of your side’s performance? 
We could have claimed all three points. I don’t think the second penalty was justified and it shouldn’t have been given. At any rate, for the quality we showed when it was 11 vs 11, for our resilience, and for the efforts and courage we showed when it was 10 vs 11, we certainly deserved this point. 

Can you give us an update on Moïse Bombito, who went off on a stretcher in the second half?
I can’t give you an update today (Sunday), but I don’t think it looks good.

Is this a good point, all the same?
In terms of our play, while it was 11 against 11, and even when we were down to ten men after that penalty, there were some good passages during much of the first half. After that, it was a different story. The players put in a huge effort and they were rewarded with a point.

What’s your opinion of Monaco’s second penalty?
There was no push from the upper body and Balogun started falling before there was any contact at the hip. I understand why VAR called the referee to have another look at the footage. But to whistle so quickly for contact that no one saw at first, and then to review the footage, and maintain a penalty, I find that very, very harsh.

A word on Sofiane Diop, who scored a brace tonight. Are we seeing his best and is he improving?
He didn't do any preseason with us as he came back injured this summer. He recovered fairly quickly after his operation. He needed to build up his strength gradually, but now he's playing more consistently. I hope that in the coming weeks he'll be able to play even more matches, but it's always the players' performances that dictate that. He's reaching a new level, above and beyond the goals, which are obviously important in his position.

Does he have the profile you are looking for in that position?
It's good to have different profiles. Today (Sunday), it was ‘Momo’ Cho and Sofiane who were behind Terem Moffi. It's good to have profiles that are capable of attacking in behind the defence and others who are more playmakers, between the lines, while also with the ability to finish off moves. You need to have complementary profiles.

Did you expect to dominate Monaco so much in the first half?
The plan was to play a very compact 3-4-3 formation, with the ability to close down the centre of the pitch first and win the ball back in good positions when Monaco played short or long. We didn't want to open up too much. As the game went on, the players gained in confidence with the ball and we got better and better. But first we had to have a very disciplined block that knew when to advance and when to avoid stretching ourselves unnecessarily. It was done pretty well. Monaco flood the midfield and have a lot of quality in attack. If you start to open up and find yourself exposed, one on one or even outnumbered at the back, if you don't manage the opposing winger, if your pivots too far apart, you can quickly find yourself in trouble.

What about Ali Abdi’s sending off?
It was avoidable, he had just received a yellow card. I know he was trying to play the ball, but with a player on the ground, I think it was ill-advised to try to get it back. There wasn't much point in going for it with his foot, even if he didn't mean to hurt anyone.

Do you blame him a little? The team was playing very well before the red card...
If I were to blame everyone, each time they made a mistake, it would never end. I'm not like that. In this situation, it was more his commitment, his desire to win the ball and do the right thing that took over. He had just received a yellow card, and I think he hadn't calmed down emotionally enough, so he made a mistake. I'm here to support my players, not to criticise them when they make mistakes.

At the back, it looks like Antoine Mendy is really growing in confidence. Could we say he has come of age?
He had started three of the last four matches and in those three games, he had shown great discipline, great understanding in reading situations, positioning, and great strength in duels... He was coming off three strong performances, and it's important for a centre-back to have that consistency. He's showing it, that he's reaching a new level, but you always have to be consistent.

Why did you make Jonathan Clauss captain over Melvin Bard?
I had a discussion after making the decision today (Sunday). I think the captaincy was a lot for Melvin to handle. I'm not saying he is no longer the captain, because I need other captains in addition to the player who wears the armband, but I thought it was good to take that burden off him. When you look at his performance today, I don't think it was a bad thing. He played very well.