Football Season Guide

Nice reached Champions League qualifying last season in Ligue 1, finishing the campaign at a sprint to beat Lille to the final spot. On the evidence of what they have since produced, they will not be repeating that effort. Even before the Ligue 1 campaign begins, they look likely to be out of the competition, having been comfortably beaten at home by Benfica. With a wretched record on the continent, it begs the question of just how much the club deserves to be there and, even more so, how much owners Ineos are actually bothered about improving the situation. On the evidence of the summer, the answer is simply: not much. Nice’s business over the summer has been anything but ambitious. They have sold leading attacker Evann Guessand to Aston Villa while another important attacker Gaetan Laborde as left for the Saudi second tier. Marcin Bulka, the regular in goal, has also departed. Of this trio, Nice have only suggested they have upgraded in goal, where Yevhann Diouf was a strong performer at relegated Reims last season. Indeed, the Allianz Riviera side has recouped around four times what they have spent this summer, with only the addition of Isak Jansson topping the €10m mark. The Swede, meanwhile, is unlikely to be a stronger option than Guessand. Nice’s squad has a good deal of unrealised potential in it. The likes of Mohamed-Ali Cho and Sofiane Diop have not kicked on after promising much earlier in their careers, while centre-forward Terem Moffi, upon whom so much rests this season, is making his way back from serious injury. Injury does seem a theme that Nice are going to have to deal with this season. Morgan Sanson was excellent last season after overcoming an ankle injury but he already faces an extended period out in the midfield, where his drive and dynamism was much missed last term when he was absent. Similarly, there are long-term issues in a defence that that still revolves around the 41-year-old Danilo. Without him, Nice are often lacking leadership and coordination. Haise is a smart coach, but putting all these pieces together effectively promises to be a difficult task.