Allianz Riviera pitch to be relaid after public feud between OGC Nice and stadium owners

A long-running feud between OGC Nice, and Nice Eco Stadium (NES), the owners of their home stadium, the Allianz Riviera, looks set to be coming to an end after the latter finally agreed to relay the pitch. 

Local authorities, in the build-up to Nice’s first home game of the season, against Toulouse, criticised the quality of the pitch, leading NES to respond, offering a set of mitigating circumstances such as the proliferation of a mushroom, the hot and humid conditions in the region, and the pitch’s overuse during the Olympics as reasons for the very visible damage to the turf at the Allianz Riviera.

That interaction was enough to elicit the concern of the LFP,  who travelled to the stadium, ultimately deeming it playable, despite the very visible damage. Nice manager Franck Haise described the playing surface as a “green car park”, adding that had he been consulted, the match would not have gone ahead. 

The expectation was that after the match against Le TéFéCé, the pitch would be relaid. But this did not happen, much to the frustration of Le Gym, who were public in their criticism of the decision.

In an official press release, the club have described the decision as “incomprehensible”, adding that the playing conditions during Nice-Toulouse were “unworthy of the world of professional football, all while putting the physical integrity of the players in danger.”

Les Aiglons then called on NES to listen to the calls, from the club and also the local authorities, to replace the damaged pitch, rather than trying to repair the current one. Those calls have  – finally – been heard. NES announced on Friday that they would replace the pitch during the current international break. The pitch is expected to be ready for Les Aiglons’ next match at the Allianz Riviera, against AS Saint-Étienne on 20th September. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Photo credit: Luke Entwistle