OGC Nice sale to American investor falls through

Negotiations for the sale of OGC Nice to an American investor have failed, confirmed Nice-Matin on Friday. Ineos, owner of the club since 2019, therefore remains in sole control, with Jim Ratcliffe in the position of sole boss.

The final meeting, held at the club’s training center, confirmed the impasse. Ineos Sport CEO Jean-Claude Blanc justified the breakdown by stating that “the conditions were not in place to ensure the financial serenity and sporting stability of OGC Nice”. Insufficient financial guarantees reportedly led to the abandonment of discussions.

The news comes at the end of a particularly grueling season for the Eagles, who narrowly avoided relegation to Ligue 2 before saving themselves in a playoff against AS Saint-Étienne (0-0; 4-1 on penalties). A structural overhaul seemed expected this summer; it will have to wait.

While awaiting possible resumption of talks with other candidates, the current management remains in place. Maurice Cohen keeps his position as deputy vice-president. On the sporting side, Geoffrey Moncada, currently at AC Milan, is still being considered to take over as sporting director of the club. For the head coach position, Olivier Pantaloni, former Lorient manager, is the frontrunner to succeed Claude Puel, ahead of Sébastien Pocognoli, ex-Monaco.