This Friday, OGC Nice officially announced the return of Jean-Pierre Rivère and Maurice Cohen as President and Vice-President. Here are some excerpts from the press conference held by these two influential figures, returning to help the club "secure its place in the league" and rediscover "unity and a true Nice spirit”.

JEAN-PIERRE RIVÈRE, PRESIDENT OF OGC NICE

“Everyone knows the club is in trouble right now. The problems run deep. Maurice (Cohen) and I total 22 years of experience as presidents. We're saddened by this situation, just like all the fans and all the club's partners. We've been questioning the club's future. Three days ago, I went to see Jim Ratcliffe. I asked for a face-to-face meeting. We spent two hours talking about the state of the club, what was happening, and how we could get out of this. There's a lot of work to be done. Maurice and I share a love for this club, a love for this city. We also have to respect the club's owners. Since their arrival, INEOS have invested €400 million in the club. That's a lot of money. And INEOS has always been there for us during difficult times. Jim has become aware of certain issues and the club's current predicament. That's what a true partner is: people who are still there when you need them and who are ready to help us.

The goal is to stay in Ligue 1. OGC Nice must be in Ligue 1 and nowhere else. Let's be very clear about this. My mission will last five months, but I can't do it alone. I told Jim that I needed someone I trust with me, someone who knows the club, someone I'm on the same page as. As I was leaving the meeting, I called Maurice. It was a no-brainer. We met. It took ten minutes. We both knew we had to do something. The next day, we got INEOS's approval. Today, Maurice and I don't have a magic wand we can just wave. We have a tremendous desire: to help this club. This club has given us so much. So much joy, so much hardship at times. We owe this club a great deal. The least we can do is give back to this club what it has given us. We had a slogan: 'My Gym, my family.' We have to be there in the difficult times. Maurice and I are here willingly, but we can't do everything alone. Far from it. I understand the anger, the disappointment: everything the community around the club is feeling, but you never lose your love for a club. Today, we're going to need everyone. We're coming happily with a lot of determination. It's going to be very tough; we're going to lose some more games. 

As I said, the problem runs deep. We'll have to address it, work on it, together. Our goal is to bring together everyone willing to help us meet this challenge. We have to fight for this because the club deserves it. I will be president, and I will be there to talk with Maurice every day. Maurice will be the one handling the day-to-day operations. He will be the Vice-President, the one managing the club. What’s crucial is we’ll work hand in hand. There won't be two bosses, only one. We will be together to run this club and take the necessary steps to move forward. With Maurice, we want to create a positive dynamic, put things back together, and ensure everyone is aligned on a very clear project: staying in the league. It will be a difficult, long road, but we'll all be there. I'm convinced that people who love this club will come together to support it and achieve our goal. Fabrice (Bocquet) is no longer with us. I want to emphasise, because it's important, that he spent three-and-a-half years at the club. He did some very good things for the club, things that may not be visible to the general public. He implemented some effective structures. I want to thank him for that. He will always be welcome at the club."

MAURICE COHEN, DEPUTY VICE PRESIDENT

“It reminds me of 2002, when the club was in serious trouble. We were relegated by the DNCG (French football's financial watchdog), and then, following a last-minute agreement, there was a real surge of support and enthusiasm from the entire city of Nice: the fans and the authorities. That enthusiasm is what we need to recapture. The enthusiasm of everyone who loves the club, even the journalists, who were a great help to us at that time.

Jean-Pierre and I are coming in like a commando unit until the end of the season, to do everything we can to recreate the spirit of Nice and a positive mindset. We need to support each other. We'll go to see the fans. It's important that we rediscover the joy of coming to the stadium, the joy of supporting our team, whatever hardships come our way. It's definitely a tough challenge. We're not saying we'll get results but we can only get results if there's a collective will to help the club.

I had already approached Jean-Claude Blanc, Fabrice Bocquet, and Jim Ratcliffe two weeks ago when the club was struggling. I told them I was saddened, that I saw the club struggling, and that I wanted to help. Today’s an opportunity to try and help the club regain its image, its soul. It's important to reconnect with former players who could come and help us if necessary. The idea is that we must stand together and create a real buzz around the Gym."

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