Although OGC Nice lost to Ludogorets Razgrad (1-0) in their final Europa League group stage match, the young Aiglons who took to the pitch or were thrown in at the deep end did themselves proud and have secured their place in the future.

The European campaign has come to an end in Bulgaria. Facing Ludogorets Razgrad on Thursday in the eighth matchday of the group phase, the Rouge et Noir were defeated, punished by a small lapse in concentration and the clinical finishing of Petar Stanic, the competition's top scorer (1-0, 42'Despite this setback just before half-time, Claude Puel's men delivered a solid performance in difficult circumstances. Facing a team fighting for qualification for the play-offs, Le Gym struggled to get into the game, played in winter drizzle and on a difficult pitch. Above all, the Côte d'Azur coach had decided to significantly rejuvenate his squad for this final continental trip of the season, which ended with an average age of 20.6 at the final whistle. 

A REFRESHING YOUTHFULNESS

Keen to see certain players in action for the first time under his command – such as Djibril Coulibaly (17) – or to continue testing others, such as Brad Mantsounga (18) and Everton (18), coach Puel undoubtedly appreciated the growing strength of his players and the freshness exuded by the youngsters. After a difficult first fifteen minutes, they found their rhythm and created two promising chances, the first by Antoine Mendy. The African champion, back in the starting line-up for the first time since Senegal's victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, saw his strike narrowly miss (9'), as did Isak Jansson, whose attempt grazed Hendrik Bonmann's left post (37'). 

Surprised by Bulgarian outfit's realism, the visitors, kept in the game by Yéhvann Diouf before the break (44', 45'), reacted well in the second half. Reinvigorated by the energetic entrance of Kaïl Boudache (19), who had already shown promise last week against Go Ahead Eagles, Nice pushed for an equaliser. The attacking midfielder tried his luck with a curling shot, but it was too central to trouble the Bulgarian goalkeeper (53'). With better technical control and much more effective pressing, Nice regained control of the game.

THREE YOUNG AIGLONS MAKE THEIR DEBUTS

Encouraged by Claude Puel, who remained as demanding as ever despite the fact that there was nothing at stake on this Thursday evening, three new graduates from the academy made their professional debuts: Millan Brignone (18), Mousslim Youssouf (20) and Kéfren Ali (18). The first of these players wasted no time in making his mark, with a clear shot that narrowly missed the Bulgarian top corner (78'). Although Ludogorets had the best chance of the second half, with Ivaylo Chochev's header hitting the post (78'), Tom Louchet saw his chance to equalise denied by Bonmann's firm hand from close range (82'). 

Despite their commitment, the young Aiglons were not rewarded this Thursday in Bulgaria, but they gained valuable experience on the European stage. From a collective point of view, Le Gym finishes this league phase in 33rd place and will return to Ligue 1 action this weekend. It's a home game against Brest on the agenda for Sunday 1st February at 5.15pm.