A new European evening to forget for OGC Nice. Opposed to Glasgow Rangers this Thursday in the Europa League, the Aiglons were heavily beaten after a very complicated match (4-1). The Niçois were notably guilty of several defensive errors. But they were also weighed down by the long list of absent players, according to Franck Haise.
“12 players less and a 13th after a quarter of an hour (Youssouf Ndayishimiye, released in the 19th, Editor’s note), it was far too much for us,” lamented the Nice coach at a press conference. “We have to be lucid about the situation. It’s a record to have so many absentees. It’s too many for two competitions. I hope that we will find a little strength to do both (competitions) and then the Coupe de France. We have to admit that the step was too high today. In addition, we give away so many goals, making significant mistakes, in the end it’s too difficult.
For this meeting, Nice was notably deprived of Jonathan Clauss, Terem Moffi, Morgan Sanson, Ali Abdi, Dante and Victor Orakpo, while Moïse Bombito and Sofiane Diop were suspended.
“These are not good times to live in”
“We don’t have the capacity to string together high-performance matches every three days. The injured, 13 players less… These are not good times to live in,” continued Franck Haise. “This is the observation I have made over these first five months. I hope that there will be great European evenings in Nice.”
In the meantime, Nice has still not won in the Europa League this season. After five days, the Aiglons are 35th and penultimate in the ranking. But the top 24, which offers a play-off place, is only three points away.
“Still a hope of qualification? As long as there is a possibility… The next match (Union Saint-Gilloise, December 12 at 6:45 p.m.), will be a final for us,” concluded Franck Haise. “As long as there is a possibility, I want us to play the competition to the fullest. Afterwards, two points in five games, you will tell me ‘the coach is nice but hey’… But we are not going to let go.”
Original article published on RMC Sport
