Players, staff and the interested party himself… it’s a decision that surprised everyone: this Wednesday 16 November, the president of Nîmes Olympique Rani Assaf informed Nicolas Usaï that the first team coach was no longer with him. The two sides have reached an agreement to end their cooperation.
When a club official confirmed the information to us this Wednesday afternoon, November 16, we don’t hide it, we were surprised. We weren’t the only ones: players, staff and the interested party himself, nobody expected it. “The coach called me to give me the news. I didn’t believe it, assures someone near the dressing room. I’m amazed.”
Surprise among the players: “Everyone was behind him”
“We were not warned, nor consulted, captain Benoît Poulain is surprised. Nothing foreshadowed it. Everyone was behind him in the group…” This Wednesday morning, Nicolas Usaï had normally led training at the center of the Bastide. Earlier in the afternoon, Rani Assaf spoke to her coach, and told him of her desire to end his duties. “A month ago, given the results, Nicolas would have understood. But there…”, confides another source.
Eight points in the first 11 days, seven in the next four…
After a decent August, things turned sour for the Crocos, who had plummeted down the table. After 11 rounds, they only had 8 points. Except that since then he has taken 7 in the next four, notably scoring Amiens (2-0) and Bordeaux (1-0), who had nonetheless presented themselves as leaders in Costières…
“The risk, without changes, of going straight to the national team”
So why stop here, even if it is true that the sporting situation was not brilliant (NO, not relegated to the truce, but only thanks to the goal average)? According to our information, the missed match in Pau and the defensive mood shown to Béarn at the start of the game put the club’s management in question, especially after the winning performance against Amiens. Against Nicolas Usaï the fact that he was slow in passing from a three-man defense with two pistons to a classic four-man rearguard would also have played a role. “His involvement and investment in him are not at all in question, specified another close to the club. But there was the risk, without changes, of going straight to the national team.” Even the away journey, without a win and with a regular feeling of fever, inevitably weighed…
The club’s official statement came shortly before 5pm, after the two sides reached an agreement: “Nicolas Usaï and Nîmes Olympique have decided, by mutual agreement, to end their collaboration. Nîmes Olympique thanks Mr. Usaï for the work done and wish him all the success he deserves for the rest of his career”.
Frédéric Bompard, 59, arrives on Monday
Richard Goyet, assistant to Nicolas Usaï, will lead this Thursday’s session in La Bastide and train the team for the 8th round of the Coupe de France, Saturday at 15:00 in Montauban (Regional 2). The new Crocodiles coach will surely be in the stands of the Sapiac stadium. According to our information, it is Frédéric Bompard.
Rudi Garcia’s former loyal assistant at Dijon, Lille, Rome and OM (the two men played together at clubs, children, in the Paris region, Frédéric Bompard as goalkeeper) will be No. 1 at Nîmes, as he had been briefly at Guingamp .
On an interim basis, he had also helped to recover the Breton club in 2021 and keep it in Ligue 2 (9th). But not being a BEPF (Professional Football Coaching Certificate) holder, he could not continue his mission. Diploma obtained last May. According to our information, he will not come alone: one or two people, including a deputy, could arrive quickly.
Frédéric Bompard will therefore celebrate his 60th birthday at the helm of Nîmes Olympique on 30 December. With the same mission as Côtes-d’Armor: maintain L2.
