While he must face FC Basel in the quarter-final return of the Europa League conference on Thursday, OGC Nice approaches this meeting entangled in the affair which concerns the coach of Paris Saint-Germain.
Once again, Didier Digard could not avoid questions on the subject. In front of journalists at a press conference on Wednesday April 19, the OGC Nice coach returned for the third time in a week to the impact of the “Galtier affair” on his team. Other Ligue 1 coaches have also been invited to react to this news in recent days. But in Nice, who will play their quarter-final return from the Europa League conference against FC Basel, Thursday, April 20, the subject is more burning than elsewhere.
It was on the Côte d’Azur, as coach of Nice, that Christophe Galtier would have made racist remarks, according to the e-mail written by Julien Fournier, then director of football for the Aiglons, which was revealed last week. Since then, a preliminary investigation has been opened for “discrimination based on an alleged race or belonging to a religion” and, inevitably, any speech by Nice people present at the club last year is scrutinized.
But within the Gym, only Digard speaks for the moment on the subject. “There’s no denying that this case takes up space and light.”, recognized the Nice coach on Wednesday. The club’s communication is particularly limited on the matter, while Nice is at a crucial moment in its season: the Azureans are participating in their first European quarter-final for 63 years and are aiming for a first qualification in their history in semi -finals.
“The facts related concern two people who no longer work for OGC Nice. This situation was treated with the utmost seriousness at the time of the events. The club will not provide further comments“, was it written in the press release published by Nice on Wednesday, April 12, the day after the revelation of Fournier’s email.
“Let justice be done and then we will give answers”
Since then, radio silence. The premises of the Riviera club were searched last Friday as part of the investigation, while the players were returning from their first leg in Basel (1-1). Several club employees were heard by the Nice judicial police, including President Jean-Pierre Rivère. No public speaking, however, came to break the reserve of the Nice club. To the point of astonishing Thierry Henry, who takes a sharp look at French football news for Prime Video.
“Why do the people of Nice not speak? I still felt people who gave me the impression of wanting to say things. (…) I know that there is an investigation, but all the same, in Nice, there is someone who must be able to speak and tell us more than the three lines of the press release. I know it happened between two people who are no longer at the club, but we are still talking about your club. (…) In Nice, someone must come and explain to us what happened“, launched the 98 world champion.
In Nice, there is no question of prohibiting players and employees from expressing their point of view, but the position comes down to that mentioned by Digard on Wednesday: “There is no contraindication [pour prendre la parole]. The problem is that you want to solve the investigation before justice. (…) Let justice be done and afterwards, we will give clear and clear answers”.
A case in a complicated sporting context
Let the members of the club concerned by the case express themselves to justice, allow the latter to advance its investigation and refer to the prosecutor to find out more about this case, this is the posture assumed by the club. . Only Digard, in Nice, continues to speak about it publicly. “Two versions clash, the truth will come out anyway“, began by assuring the coach during his first speech on the subject last week.
After the many reactions to these remarks – some see it as a latent conflict with Galtier – Digard has watered down his wine. To the point of explaining on Wednesday that “it’s no longer a topic in the locker room“.”It may be in the head but it is no longer a subject of discussion”confided Digard, certain that Nice is “ready to give everything to live an extraordinary adventure”.
The Aiglons will indeed have to give everything against Basel on Thursday, more than in recent weeks: the Riviera club has not won for five games and the spectacular debut of Digard after his arrival on the bench in January is already behind him. To experience a great evening at the Allianz Riviera on Thursday and continue their European adventure, the people of Nice will have to ignore this complicated sporting context. And the Galtier affair which has been polluting its environment for a week.