In the Spring of 2005, the whole city of Nice was hoping Le Gym could save their place in the top flight. A feat they managed to achieve at the Stade du Ray, in the penultimate match of the season, by defeating… AJ Auxerre 1-0. Let’s take a look back, to best look ahead to Sunday’s massive clash against the Burgundy outfit.

Ajaccio, Kamel, the toey...

Sometimes our memory can play tricks on even the most ardent supporters, the passing of the years and the emotions can warp our recollection, even to the point of contradicting the facts. Those younger than 20 years of age won’t remember what happened next. For the rest, most of you recall the collective impression, the stuff of legend: that of an away trip to Ajaccio, with a huge travelling support of Rouge et Noir, bringing the colour and noise to the away end of the Stade François-Coty. 

And those fans got their reward late in the day. Delivered by who? By Kamel Larbi! A centre-forward’s run from the playmaker. A ferocious duel. A control. And a toe-poke. The ‘butterfly’ celebration in front of the visiting fans. Victory! Survival! The saviour, a local hero, from the youth academy, an U18 French champion with Les Aiglons just a year earlier and already on the scoresheet against Auxerre and Saint-Etienne…

But behind Kamel’s moment of brilliance, there is another version of events: that of the numbers. That win on 14 May 2005 in round 36 of the season gave Le Gym three more points than their relegation rivals Ajaccio. But it was still too tight at the bottom of the table where no less than seven clubs were covered by just four points (see below).

Les Aiglons still had it all to do, when they hosted Auxerre on 21 May 2005. The visiting Burgundy side were sitting fifth in the championship, a way off the top three, but close to the Stade de France, where they had qualified for the final of the Coupe de France (which they would win 2-1 over Sedan on 4 June, thanks to goals from Benjani and Bonaventure Kalou…). As they travelled to the Stade du Ray, Guy Roux’s side were flying high. As for the hosts, Les Aiglons were coached by Gérard Buscher, who had replaced Gernot Rohr with four games left, appointed by president Cohen and Roger Ricort and with the sole aim of surviving the drop.

Victor with the final touch

The home side knew what they had to do as referee Stéphane Lannoy got things underway at 20:45, in a Stade du Ray full to overflowing with 15,755 in attendance. Here were the two line-ups:

Nice: Grégorini; Scotto, Cobos, Traoré, Varrault; Bigné, Echouafni, Balmont, Roudet; Vahirua, Agali
Auxerre: Cool; Radet, Mignot, Jaures, Kaboul; Lachuer, Cheyrou, Mathis, Tainio, Akale; Pieroni

Right from the start, Les Rouge et Noir plugged into the energy generated from the 12th man. The pressure was building. And building. Marama went within a whisker of opening the scoring, but he failed to hit the target. With his second chance, ‘Tahiti Goal’ stung the palms of Fabien Cool who could only push the ball back out to Victor Agali. Without a goal in six months and his previous strike against Saint-Etienne, the Nigerian giant was in the right place at the right time to drive the ball home (1-0, 29'). Scorer of a legendary derby hat-trick against Monaco, this was to be Agali’s sixth and final goal for Nice. It’s a goal that doesn’t enjoy the same affection, doesn’t inspire the same majesty as other, yet was the most important of all…

The mythology versus the numbers…

It was the only goal of the game against Auxerre. Le Gym avoided relegation. Four days after saving their place in Ligue 1, Frédéric Antonetti was officially appointed for the following season.

Gérard Buscher and Les Aiglons ended the campaign with a scoreless draw against Lyon, and ultimately finished the season in 12th place.

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