Puel reveals why Ben Arfa's return to Nice was ruled out this winter

OGC Nice seriously considered recalling Hatem Ben Arfa during the January transfer window, but it was Claude Puel himself who put the brakes on it. The former Nice manager, appointed to the Aiglons’ bench in December 2025, confirmed this in an interview with Nice Matin.

While the club was going through a difficult period, fighting for Ligue 1 survival, former president Jean-Pierre Rivère had floated the idea of bringing back the 39-year-old attacking midfielder, absent from any pitch since April 2022 and a 0-0 draw between Lille and Bordeaux. Puel had initially been open to assessing the player’s physical condition. “I agreed that we could see where he stood physically after so much time away from the pitch, even though he had been playing padel,” he said.

But the 65-year-old coach quickly ruled out the option, judging the risk-reward ratio unfavorable. “It could have been catastrophic for the group, it could have been a nightmare for the supporters with the expectations his return would have created,” he explained. “You were taking a risk where you risked damaging the club. Jean-Pierre likes that sort of thing, he’s had gambles like that which helped unlock situations. But here, the risk wasn’t opportune and could have had a disastrous effect. The general interest was to stay focused and not wait for a miracle.”

Ben Arfa maintains a strong bond with Nice, where he had the best season of his career in 2015-2016: 17 goals in 34 matches, statistics that remain etched in the memory of Gym supporters. A return would therefore have been laden with expectations, which was precisely the heart of the problem according to Puel, who himself left the club at the end of the season.