OGC Nice facts for kids
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| Full name | Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice | |
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| Nickname(s) | Les Aiglons (The Eaglets) Le Gym (The Gym) |
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| Founded | 9 July 1904 | |
| Ground | Allianz Riviera | |
| Capacity | 36,178 | |
| Owner | Ineos | |
| President | Jean-Pierre Rivère | |
| Head coach | Franck Haise | |
| League | Ligue 1 | |
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1, 5th of 20 | |
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OGC Nice is a professional football club from Nice, France. It is also known as Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice. The club started in 1904 and plays in Ligue 1, which is the top football league in France. Their home games are played at the Allianz Riviera stadium.
Nice is one of the clubs that helped start the first French football division. They have won the Ligue 1 championship four times. They also won the Trophée des Champions once and the Coupe de France three times. Most of their big wins happened in the 1950s. Their last major trophy was the Coupe de France in 1997. The team's colors are red and black.
During their successful time in the 1950s, Nice was one of the first French clubs to have many international players. Some famous players from that time include Héctor de Bourgoing, Pancho Gonzales, Victor Nurenberg, and Joaquín Valle. Joaquín Valle is still the club's top goal scorer of all time.
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Club History
The club began on July 9, 1904, as Gymnaste Club. It was first focused on gymnastics and athletics. Later, a football section was added. In 1919, the club joined with Gallia Football Athlétic Club. This is when they started using their famous red and black colors. In 1924, the club changed its name to Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice.
In 1930, French football became professional. Nice was one of the first clubs to join the new professional league. In the first season (1932–33), they finished seventh in their group. They were moved down to a lower league in the next season. Professional football stopped during World War II, but Nice kept playing as an amateur team.
After the war, Nice became a professional club again. They moved back up to the first division for the 1948–49 season. In the 1950–51 season, Nice won their first league title! They won again the next season (1951–52), also winning the Coupe de France. This meant they won "the double" (both the league and the cup) in one year.
Nice won the Coupe de France again in 1954. A young player named Just Fontaine was on the team then. In 1956, Nice won the league for the third time. They won their fourth and last league title in 1959. The 1950s were a great time for Nice, with four league titles and two Coupe de France trophies. They also played in European competitions for the first time in 1956.
In the years after the 1950s, Nice found it harder to win big trophies. They often played in the top division but sometimes moved down to the second division. In 1973 and 1976, they finished second in the league, which was their best result since 1959. But in 1982, they were moved down to a lower league again. They returned to the top league in 1985.
In 1997, Nice surprised many by winning the Coupe de France. They beat Guingamp in the final after a penalty shootout. However, just days after this victory, Nice was moved down from the first division. They spent five seasons in the second division before returning to Ligue 1 in 2001. In 2006, Nice reached the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, but they lost to Nancy.
In 2016, a group of Chinese and American investors bought most of the club. In the 2016–17 season, Nice finished third in Ligue 1. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. In 2018, Patrick Vieira became the new manager. In July 2019, Jim Ratcliffe bought the club.
Patrick Vieira was replaced by Adrian Ursea in 2020. Then, Christophe Galtier became head coach in 2021. Lucien Favre returned as manager in 2022 but was later replaced by Didier Digard. In 2023, Francesco Farioli took over. For the 2024–25 season, Franck Haise became the head coach. In the 2023–24 season, Nice finished fifth in Ligue 1, which means they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
Home Stadium
From 1927 until 2013, Nice played their home games at the Stade du Ray. This stadium was in the city center and could hold about 17,415 fans. People liked its location, but it was old and too small for the growing city of Nice.
Nice started planning a new stadium in 2002. After some challenges, the city decided in 2008 that Nice would have a new stadium by 2013. The new stadium, called the Allianz Riviera, was chosen to host games for UEFA Euro 2016. Construction began in 2011 and finished in September 2013.
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Retired Jersey Numbers
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Famous Former Players
Many great players have played for OGC Nice. Here are some who played in at least 100 official matches for the club:
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Club Management
Club Officials
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- Owner: Ineos
- President: Jean-Pierre Rivère
- Director of Football: Florian Maurice
- Head Coach: Franck Haise
- Assistant Coaches: Lilian Nalis, Johann Ramaré, Sébastien Squillaci
- Goalkeeping Coach: Stéphane Cassard
Coaching History
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Club Achievements
French Competitions
- Ligue 1 (Top French League)
- Champions (4): 1950–51, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59
- Second Place: 1967–68, 1972–73, 1975–76
- Ligue 2 (Second French League)
- Champions (4): 1947–48, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1993–94
- Second Place: 1984–85
- Coupe de France (French Cup)
- Winners (3): 1951–52, 1953–54, 1996–97
- Runners-up: 1977–78, 2021–22
- Trophee des Champions (French Super Cup)
- Winners: 1970
- Runners-up: 1956, 1959, 1997
Other Competitions
- Latin Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1952
Sponsors
Main Sponsor
Kit Sponsor
Kappa
See also
In Spanish: Olympique Gymnaste Club de Niza para niños
