This first part of the season was not easy to manage for the management of the Nice club. The trial of the former coach, Christophe Galtier, tried for harassment and discrimination, mainly against Muslim players, which took place on Friday, 24 hours before the defeat conceded in Le Havre (3-1), followed that of Youcef Atal, Monday, 48 hours before the Lensois reception.
The Algerian international, 101 L1 matches with the Aiglons, was tried for “provoking hatred on the grounds of religion”, after sharing a 35-second video calling for “a black day on the Jews”. If the player pleaded clumsiness, the prosecution requested a ten-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros against him.
He will know the verdict on January 3. And if it is unlikely to see him play again for Nice as this episode has gained momentum, particularly politically, his situation has dampened the atmosphere in a locker room where he is a valued teammate.
Against Lens, the attitude of each Nice player will be scrutinized, particularly that of those closest to Atal. Because last Saturday, that of the French international Jean-Clair Todibo, excluded after having reacted violently against Samuel Grandsir, author of a mistake which still injured him, betrayed the ambient nervousness.
Todibo’s relationship with Galtier had, in fact, been discussed at length in the criminal court the day before. Enough to affect a player. If Nice coach Francesco Farioli then dismissed the problem out of hand, he now admits the complexity of the overall situation.
“We have experienced very complicated times in recent months with, in particular, extra-sporting concerns that are very difficult to manage,” he agrees, also referring to the great distress experienced by Alexis Beka Beka, who threatened to commit suicide at the end September, and the fear that followed within the club.
This heavy context is enough to amplify the mental wear and tear already apparent on the field, at the end of the first leg. “There can be fatigue,” emphasizes Farioli. Our style of play requires courage and effort. To be dominant, there is never a moment of rest on the pitch, with or without the ball. It takes a lot of energy.”
Its captain, Dante, is more forthcoming on the issue. “Fatigue is mental, but it affects the body,” he explains. If your head is not fresh, you won’t succeed, even if your physique is top-notch. Against Reims (2-1), for example, we ended up sticking out our tongues.”
“This fatigue is not only due to the model of play,” he insists. It’s a whole thing: playing at the top of the table and keeping the distance from the pursuers costs a lot of energy. I don’t remember a match won by managing the last 20 minutes. When you finish with just one goal in advance, the opponent pushes and you play on the edge without being able to miss, it weighs a lot.”
“So you can lose a little lucidity, you do things that weren’t planned,” he continues, before asking his team to “do a clean sheet again” (a match without taking beginning). The Brazilian, however, tempers the observation, judging that “Nice has only missed one match this season”, the last.
Deliberately positive and already happy to have ensured during the break “an unexpected podium at the start of the season”, the young forty-something even considers the team capable of “rediscovering mental freshness” and “a vengeful spirit” against Lens “direct competitor” in “a six-point game.”
