sports
Nice fans direct fury at owners as club falls into Ligue 1 relegation playoff
Nice began the season in the Champions League but may end it in Ligue 2 – a terrible indictment of Ineos’ ownership
TL;DR
- Nice faces a two-legged relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne after failing to secure a win on the final day of the season.
- Fan anger is directed at Ineos' ownership, whose ambition to challenge PSG has not materialized since their €100m purchase in 2019.
- The team's poor home form, player sales, and managerial changes have contributed to the crisis.
- Nice co-president Jean-Pierre Rivère acknowledged the relegation playoff overshadows their upcoming Coupe de France final.
- Previous incidents of fan violence, including attacks on players, have further destabilized the club.
- Claude Puel's return as manager has yielded minimal success, with only two league wins in 18 games.
- Nantes' match against Toulouse was abandoned due to fan disturbances, with manager Vahid Halilhodzic leaving football on a somber note.
- PSG's league title win was marked by a subdued celebration due to a lack of cooperation from Paris FC.