Claude Puel took back the reins of the OGC Nice first team on Monday, just over nine years after leaving the team sitting in fourth place on the ladder. Before taking charge of his first training session, he met the assembled media. He spoke with passion and motivation, his goal being to help his players regain confidence and teamwork.

How do you feel upon your return?

I'm very happy to see some familiar faces again and to be here to talk to you. When people have asked me about my future in recent months, I really didn't know what it would hold. I hadn't closed the door on coaching; I had quite a few offers, but I never let myself go, so to speak. Because I had found a certain balance in my life, hobbies, and I didn’t feel I wasn't lacking anything. Even though I'm still very passionate about football. I've always been a bit impulsive, and never career-minded (...) And then the president approached me. It's true that this challenge appealed to me. The president spoke of a club being close to one’s heart. Nice is one of them for me, it's my region. Along with Monaco. And even if there is sometimes a rivalry, it's a healthy one between these two clubs that I'm attached to.

I'm coming for a very difficult challenge. In a way, that's what motivates me. I like challenges. These appeal to me. What's more, coming back here is also a way of giving something back, because I really enjoyed my time in Nice. I worked with the chairman to help the club grow. We worked hard on the facilities, such as the training centre, and on the squad, and we tried to set the club up for the future. And I think it's in a good place now.

The club has a small problem at the moment, and we're going to try to help it get through this difficult period. We'll do this by working together with the players and staff until the end of the season to turn the situation around. Before we can hope for more, we need to stay focused on the task at hand, climb the table and move away from the danger zone. And we'll do that by doing the simple things well, as I like to say. By trying to share as much as possible with the players so that they are on the same page and respond in the same way on the pitch. That way, they can not only help the club climb the table, but also, in a manner of speaking, be reunited with all the OGC Nice fans.

 

Where will you start?

First, by getting to know the squad as well as possible, based on feedback from everyone. I know quite a few people on the staff, for example: César Arghirudis (assistant coach in charge of game analysis) at Saint-Étienne. I also had Julien Sablé at Saint-Étienne, who will be my first assistant. I knew Benoît Delaval (performance director) at Lille. I got to know Florian Maurice a little bit at Lyon, initially bringing him in as a scout.

After that, we'll have to get down to business very quickly. So, I'm going to rely heavily on these first training sessions, these first matches, the people in place, and the members of the staff who share their insights with me. Everyone has different insights, and I need to listen to everyone a little bit to form my initial opinion.

And then, of course, there's observation on a daily basis, which will allow me to refine all of that. These are situations I've experienced at Leicester, at Saint-Étienne, and now here, where there's a mechanism in place where you have to put simple things in place with the players, get to the essentials, not get lost, not let yourself be overwhelmed by a wealth of information or people who are well-meaning and want to contribute. We mustn't let ourselves be overwhelmed by all sorts of things. We're going to try to be as precise as possible, because the players need to gradually regain their confidence. They need clarity and simple things to regain a certain cohesion and, little by little, the confidence they need.

 

The situation with the supporters was complicated at the end of the year. Do you think the trend can be reversed? Has this been a topic of discussion?

No. Those who have followed me throughout my career, particularly in Nice, know that I have experienced different facets of the supporters. I know that they are very demanding and that they can sometimes express this a little harshly. I have experienced that too. Nevertheless, since leaving Nice, I have always received a great deal of gratitude and consideration from the people of Nice. It's important to have all this feedback, and it shows that, above all, there is love for this club. And from time to time, perhaps it goes beyond certain limits, but they need to have confidence in their team. I'd like to add something, both for you, the media, and for the very passionate supporters. Sometimes, a team's performance can raise questions because it seems that the player or players aren't giving their all, that they could do more, that they're not putting enough effort into it... That's a complaint we often hear in these cases. But for me, that's not the case. The players give their all. Whatever the circumstances. It's just that their performance is not as good, their leadership, what they can bring to the game, because they lack confidence. They've lost a certain lightness. They're heavy in their heads, they're heavy in their expression, in their physique, and that sometimes gives the impression that the player or certain players aren't fighting. But that's not true. In my entire career, I've never considered that a player works against his team or doesn't give his all. But on the other hand, we have to support them. If our supporters feel that there is a unity around the team, within the team, through simple things, that they are fighting together, with unity, and naturally, little by little, confidence, this will draw in all those supporters who love OGC Nice. And there are many of them, I can confirm that. Even when people stop me in Monaco, I always ask if they support Monaco or Nice. And the answer is that there are a lot of Nice supporters. That's reassuring, it means that everyone is capable and ready to start afresh.

 

Why a six-month contract?

Because we're here on a mission, on both sides. I could have tried to get another year. But I don't know if I'll want to continue at the end of the season. The club will also be free to make its own decision if they want to offer me something. And whether I would accept it, I don't know. As I said, I've reached a certain freedom to feel things and do them out of passion and not just to get a few more years, with the salaries that go with it, etc. If things are meant to happen, they will happen naturally on both sides.

For the moment, I've set myself six months, and already, that will be a big change to my daily routine. But I'm doing it with great pleasure, with a lot of motivation, with determination. Maurice (Cohen) mentioned it, I've tried to take up golf. I must admit that I've been at odds with golf for quite some time... (smile).

Football remains my passion, something that drives me. Sometimes, it challenges me when I see certain things and certain developments. But the game, when I'm brought back to the game, is extraordinary. I want the same thing for the players. There's a whole media side to it, a whole environment surrounding the players. The role of the coach is extraordinary. It's very difficult. All the time individualising the player's performance. I often say that the coach is the only one who rows against the tide, who tries to unite and make players think collectively, players who are being pulled in different directions, who are being pushed, even sometimes with the introduction of data now. They are told they have better statistics to get noticed. Even if it goes against the collective.

That's what's interesting. Players evolve with this world. It's up to us to stay with them, to support them and to make them see all the benefits of consistency and of a collective. When you have a good collective, the individual can flourish. They have a framework to rely on and can express all their qualities. It's the pitch, it's the game. It's the pitch that must be the most important thing for them, for the staff, for everyone. That's where we're going to achieve our goals.

 

You haven't been on the bench for four years. Is your method still the same? How do you plan to work after this fairly long ‘absence’?

I haven't asked myself those kinds of questions. Time flies. It's like riding a bike. There are always new things, new adaptations. I see the players' environment, for example. There's the staff, which is extraordinary in terms of quality and numbers around the players. Everything evolves. You have to evolve. But then, the player remains the same. He wants to improve. He wants to have a great career. Their environment is always there to advise them. You have to work together with all these people to bring out the best in the player. It's exciting. In four years, you don't forget that. It's not long. Eric (Roy) is a good example. He spent quite a few years without a coaching job. And he's doing miracles, extraordinary things at Brest. I know there's a lot of youth culture. But sometimes, when we talk about youth culture, there are fads. Many are careerists and seek above all to capitalise on the slightest moments when things are going well. I have the advantage of having most of my career behind me, of still being passionate, of always having worked for the players, for the clubs that hired me, and of not trying to bounce back very quickly to make a career and go to a club that is possibly considered superior. That doesn't interest me. I think there are also many advantages to having a certain maturity.

 

A word about your relationship with Jean-Pierre Rivère. We know there were tensions at the end of your first experience here...

The chairman and I had a few minor disagreements, which can happen in any family. When I left OGC Nice, I needed a break because it had been very tough, with a lot of work on all fronts, as I was in charge of all the club's sporting activities. We had worked hard on the training centre, on developing players, etc. I should point out that we had no financial means to make any transfers, or only a small transfer for Cvitanich. We also didn't have as many staff as we do now, and as much support around the team, so I was tired. That was the first reason. What was important to me was to see what happened next with OGC Nice, which continued to work well with Lucien Favre and had players that we had trained, who were also very good assets for the club. As a little anecdote, we met again in Monaco a few months ago, on our birthday, because we were born on the same day. So we wished each other a happy birthday and chatted for a while, which was very nice. When there is respect between two people, that doesn't mean there aren't tensions sometimes, as in any relationship. And I think that's healthy.

 

Do you think that talking about staying up is a positive way to motivate the players at the end of the season, or on the contrary, should we be ambitious and aim much higher?

There's no point in being ambitious if we don't achieve the minimum, which is to have unity, share the same feelings, the same desire to act as a team. First of all, it's about building a team that is good at recovering, that is good at expressing itself collectively, in the game. It will take simple things. We need to be measured and stay out of danger before we can aim for anything. We're going to have a very difficult January because there's a succession of matches. Some important players are at the Africa Cup of Nations and are on fire, like Boudaoui yesterday. There are also a lot of injuries. The squad is a bit shaky. There are a lot of young players. There are 19 players at training this afternoon, including seven young players. Despite all that, we'll have to find the solutions we need to play a good match against Strasbourg. I hope our supporters will turn out in force because we need them to regain confidence and rebuild. As I said, it's a difficult challenge, but a very interesting one. I want to share it with the chairman, with Maurice, with the staff and the players. We all need to be on the same wavelength.

 

Have you already identified any priority positions where you would like to recruit?

We'll see. The first thing for me is to get to know the players better. I see them playing, but then we get to know them better from the inside in terms of their personality, their technical, physical and tactical skills, and what they can bring to the team.

In the transfer market, there may be things that have been looked at which, for me, may not be a priority. On the other hand, there may be other areas where we are weak, and that may be the case. We always hope, for the supporters, for everyone, but in the winter transfer window, it's very difficult to find players who really add something extra. Especially with, I would say, a financial windfall that will be normal but won't allow us to do things, make transfers or anything else. That means we have to be very precise and refrain from taking on players who, at the moment, fill the gaps and make everyone happy because it gives the impression that we've recruited. And then you quickly realise that it's not enough, that it's not working. And instead of a beneficial effect, you end up with a negative effect because even the players realise that the contributions are not enough. We need to remain measured when it comes to the transfer market. What interests me is what we have in this group, analysing it properly and seeing if we can improve it with a player who can bring something to the table. When are we going to gradually get our injured players back as well? These are the kinds of questions that interest me. The players who are at the Africa Cup of Nations will surely have a week to recover from their break. That means that each time, it delays their return a little bit. I also expect my staff to be good at gradually getting injured players or players who are out of shape back to fitness, because there are players who have returned from injury and have not yet reached their best level and the level required for the team. There are a lot of us, and there are a lot of dedicated people around the players. We need to take things step by step with these players too. And maybe the answer will come from all the players we get back.

 

What would constitute a successful half-season?

First of all, I'd prefer us all to focus on the game. I'd like to see a solid team, a team that is gradually regaining confidence, where the players are expressing themselves.

When I look at the team, there are players who, for example, have creativity and talent, but I don't see them trying hard enough, expressing themselves or doing things that unsettle the opposition. And they are capable of doing that. I want to focus on staying up, as the chairman said. In our situation, after this series of defeats, we need to regain confidence and unity. But what interests me is the game and seeing my players progress individually and collectively. This must be accompanied by results, of course. But it is the game that will bring results. So let's focus on the game before extrapolating and looking at our position in the league and saying that we can envisage or project ourselves into a certain position. That's impossible as things stand.

 

OGC Nice is involved in three competitions. And we know the difficulties Nice has had in European competitions over the last two years. How will you approach it?

The Europa League and the Coupe de France are different. In Europe, there's a league phase. Ideally, I'd like to use these matches to give some players playing time and see them progress. Will we be able to do that? We have a reduced squad at the moment. Does it make sense to send certain players on a long away trip [to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets] with all the travelling involved, followed by another match three days later? Once again, we will analyse this match by match, taking into account the individual progress of the players and their travel commitments. We have to look at everything. We have to be very meticulous about each player, their performance, their playing time, and whether or not they return.

Our staff must allow us to have tailor-made training sessions and to focus on the player and his best performance. For the Coupe de France, it's like a knockout match. We have to play it to the full. We're travelling [to Nantes, in the round of 32], so we'll have to up for that one.

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