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 |
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| 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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Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice, often called OGC Nice or just Nice, is a professional football club from Nice, France. The club started in 1904. Today, they play in Ligue 1, which is the top football league in France. Nice plays its home games at the Allianz Riviera stadium.
Nice was first known as Gymnaste Club de Nice. It was one of the first clubs to join France's top football division in 1932. The team has won the Ligue 1 championship four times. They have also won the Trophee des Champions once and the Coupe de France three times. Most of their big wins happened in the 1950s. Famous coaches like Numa Andoire and William Berry led the team then. Their last major win was the Coupe de France in 1997. Nice's team colours 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 era include Héctor De Bourgoing, Pancho Gonzales, Victor Nurenberg, and Joaquín Valle. Joaquín Valle is still the club's all-time top goal scorer.
Club History
How Nice Football Club Started
The Gymnaste Club 'Azur began on July 9, 1904. It was founded by Marquis de Massingy d'Auzac. At first, the club focused on gymnastics and athletics. In 1908, a new part of the club, Gymnastes Amateurs Club de Nice, was formed. This new part created a football team.
Later, in 1919, Nice joined with another local club called Gallia Football Athlétic Club. This is when they started using their famous red and black colours. By 1920, the club was playing in a regional league. They developed rivalries with teams like Cannes and Marseille. On December 22, 1924, the club changed its name to Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice.
Becoming a Professional Team
In July 1930, French football decided to allow professional teams. Nice was one of the first clubs in southern France to become professional. They were also a founding member of the new professional league. In the first season (1932–33), Nice finished seventh in their group. The next season, they finished 13th and were moved down to a lower league.
Nice did not play league football for one season. They returned in 1936 to Division 2. They played there for three years. In 1939, professional football stopped in France because of World War II. Nice continued to play as an amateur team during the war.
The Golden Age: 1950s Success
After World War II, Nice became a professional team again. They were placed back in the second division. In the 1948–49 season, they moved back up to the first division. This was thanks to their Austrian manager, Anton Marek.
In the 1950–51 season, Nice won their first-ever league title! They were led by French players like Marcel Domingo and Antoine Bonifaci, and international players like Pancho Gonzales. They won the league even though they had the same points as Lille. Nice won because they had more victories.
The next season (1951–52), Nice won both the league and the Coupe de France. This is called winning "the double." In the Coupe de France final, they beat Bordeaux 5–3.
Nice continued their winning streak. They won the Coupe de France again in 1954. A young player named Just Fontaine was on the team then. They beat Marseille 2–1 in the final. After this, one of their players, Luis Carniglia, became the manager. In his first season (1955–56), Nice won the league for the third time.
Three seasons later, in 1959, Nice won their last title of the decade. By the end of the 1950s, Nice had won four league titles and two Coupe de France trophies. They also played in a European competition for the first time in 1956–57. They lost to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Later Years and Recent History
In the years after the 1950s, Nice found it hard to repeat their earlier success. Other teams like Reims and Saint-Étienne became stronger. Nice usually played in the top division, except for two seasons in Division 2. In 1973 and 1976, Nice finished second in the league. This was their best finish since 1959. However, they were moved down to a lower league in 1982. They returned to the top league in 1985.
In 1997, Nice surprised many by winning the Coupe de France again. They beat Guingamp in a penalty shootout. But just days after this big win, Nice was moved down from the first division because they finished last in the league.
The club spent five seasons in Ligue 2 before returning to Ligue 1 in 2001. Before that season, Nice had money problems. They were almost moved down to the third division. But they managed to fix their finances and were allowed to stay in Ligue 1. In the 2005–06 season, Nice reached the final of the Coupe de la Ligue but lost 2–1 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 the league. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.
Patrick Vieira became Nice's manager in 2018. In 2019, Jim Ratcliffe bought the club. After a difficult period, Patrick Vieira was replaced by Adrian Ursea in 2020. Then, Christophe Galtier became the head coach in 2021, followed by Lucien Favre in 2022.
Lucien Favre was later replaced by Didier Digard. In 2023, Francesco Farioli took over as head coach. In the 2023–24 season, Nice finished 5th in Ligue 1, which means they qualified for the UEFA Europa League. The current head coach is Franck Haise.
Home Stadium
From 1927 until 2013, Nice played their home games at the Stade Municipal du Ray, often called the Stade du Ray. This stadium was in the city centre 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, began construction in 2011 and was finished in September 2013. This stadium was also chosen to host matches for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.
Players
Current squad
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Out on loan
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Retired numbers
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Notable former players
Here are some important players who have played for Nice in league and international games since 1904. To be on this list, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club.
For a complete list of OGC Nice players, see Category:OGC Nice players
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Management and Staff
Club officials
- Senior club staff
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- Owner(s): Ineos
- President: Jean-Pierre Rivère
- Director of football: Florian Maurice
- Head coach: Franck Haise
- Assistant head coach: Lilian Nalis, Johann Ramaré, Sébastien Squillaci
- Goalkeeping coach: Stéphane Cassard
- Fitness coach: Christopher Juras, Sébastien Sangnier, Maxime Verdier, Ghislain Dubois
- Video Analyst: Sebastien Besombes
- Chief Analyst: Alexandre Pasquini
- Match Analyst: Kevin Jeffries
Coaching history
Here is a list of the coaches who have led the OGC Nice team over the years.
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Honours
These are the main trophies and achievements of OGC Nice:
Domestic 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
- Division 3 (Reserves Team)
- Champions: 1984–85, 1988–89
- Coupe de France (French Cup)
- Champions (3): 1951–52, 1953–54, 1996–97
- Runners-up: 1977–78, 2021–22
- Trophee des Champions (French Super Cup)
- Champions: 1970
- Runners-up: 1956, 1959, 1997
Other Competitions
- Latin Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1952
Sponsors
Main sponsor
INEOS
Kit sponsor
Le Coq Sportif (Until 2024-25 season)
Kappa (Starting from 2025-26 season)
See also
In Spanish: Olympique Gymnaste Club de Niza para niños
