In tribute to the sacrifices made by the more than 1,000 supporters who travelled to support the team in Salzburg and then Gelsenkirchen, OGC Nice has decided to take care of the tickets for the next big clash, against Paris SG at the Parc des Princes, announced president Rivère. It's a way of supporting those who can drop everything when it comes time to support the Aiglons on match day, but also a symbolic act that supports the idea of football as the people's sport in France.

'Nissa la bella' has enjoyed a tour of Europe this autumn. The city's anthem has rung out well beyond the borders of France, along with the rest of the repertoire from the kops at the Allianz Riviera. Last Thursday, 1,000 Niçois showed their pride in the majestic Veltins Arena. Twenty days earlier, over 1,200 made the trip to Salzburg.

"It's quite extraordinary. You have to realise what a huge effort that takes," said Jean-Pierre Rivère admiringly. "These are long trips. In buses, cars and planes. Last week in Gelsenkirchen, all the fans had to either take leave or manage their free time in order to follow their passion. Right in the middle of the week, they travelled thousands of kilometres to get behind their team. Even in Russia, 17 of our bravest fans were there. Despite the sacrifices involved, we know that it's also a great pleasure and a source of pride for our fans to hit the road and follow us in European competition."

And even more so as they are often prevented from attending away games in France. Barred from Metz and then Saint-Etienne, the OGC Nice supporters were forced to miss out on two of their team's best away wins of the season. In the same week, the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard closed its doors to the Nice fans but then opened them to a thousand Mainz fans four days later. It's absurdly surreal. However, on a positive note, Le Gym's faithful followers will be allowed to head to the Parc des Princes for the big clash with Paris Saint-Germain on 11 December. The green light has been given by the authorities. "It's a good thing, but that's how it should be. We mustn't allow normal to become an exception," warned the OGC Nice president.   

In order to mix it with the reigning four-time French champions on their home turf, Lucien Favre's men will need their 12th man. And while all of France will be watching, on a Sunday night a 20:45, to see how the clash between two of the country's top sides plays out, the Nice fans will have the chance to show everyone what they're missing when generalised travel bans are handed out.  

Deterred by the prices in the visiting fans' section (€30), numerous fans were planning on skipping the trip on principle. Therefore, the club decided to exceptionally take care of purchasing the tickets for Nice's travelling supporters. "It's our way of thanking our fans for having travelled all across Europe. We believe football is the people's sport. So we're mobilizing to open a debate on travel bans. And when the barrier isn't administrative, we don't want it to be financial either; we don't want ticket prices to hold our fans back," explained Jean-Pierre Rivère. "To make this match a great party, and to have our team benefit from the support they deserve, we have to have our most fervent supporters with us."

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