Nice look to find way out of alarming collapse

PARIS: Nice sat second in the Ligue 1 table at the season’s halfway stage, but a dramatic drop-off in form since the turn of the year has let them at risk of failing to qualify for Europe.

The Cote d’azur side’s slump in 2024 has been as remarkable as their results were impressive in the final four months of last year, when they were the main challengers to Paris Saint-germain in France’s top flight.

Surely just by coincidence, their results began to crumble at around the same time British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a 25 percent stake in Manchester United.

That deal saw Ratcliffe’s company Ineos take control of football operations at Old Trafford, leading to inevitable questions about their commitment to Nice, a club they also own.

Nice appointed the 34-year-old Italian Francesco Farioli as coach ahead of this season in a surprise move, given his only previous experience in managing in his own right had come in two short spells at clubs in Turkey.

Yet Nice started the season in superb fashion, going unbeaten through their first 13 matches including beating PSG 3-2 away, and conceding only four goals in that time.

However, they were struggling to score goals throughout that period, and a 1-0 defeat at Nantes in early December marked the start of their downturn.

Nice have won just three of their last 12 games in Ligue 1 and have collected just two points from the last 18 available.

As a result, they have gone from apparent certainties to qualify for the Champions League, to sixth in the table, two points adrit of the top four and of fith-placed Lens, who they face away from home on Saturday.

They are also just a point beter off than a resurgent Marseille, meaning they are at risk of dropping out of the top six and missing out on Europe entirely.

Tensions almost spilled over last weekend, as defender Jean-clair Todibo confronted supporters ater a 2-1 home defeat by Montpellier.

And in midweek Nice were knocked out of the French Cup in a 3-1 quarter-final loss away to PSG, ending their hopes of silverware.

“It is a difficult time. We need to stick together and get back the harmony that was our strength before,” said Farioli, a former assistant to Roberto De Zerbi, ater last week’s game.