Former OGC Nice president André Boïs passes away

Former OGC Nice president André Boïs has passed away at the age of 85 on Monday, as per reporting from L’Équipe. He breathed his last at his residence in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Nice, on Monday. Boïs’ tenure as president saw the club clinch their most recent professional title, the Coupe de France in 1997.

Boïs was a prominent figure in the world of French football, and took the helm of OGC Nice during a challenging period for the club in the early 1990s. The team had been relegated to Division 2, and a devastating financial crisis had engulfed the club. Looking back on those trying times, Boïs remarked to Nice-Matin, “I inherited a club that was both financially ruined and in shambles.”

During his presidency, Boïs orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, guiding OGC Nice back to the top tier of French football. His crowning achievement came in 1994 when the club won the Division 2 championship, securing their promotion to Ligue 1. However, the pinnacle of Boïs’ tenure was Les Aiglons’ victory in the 1997 Coupe de France, a competition that saw Nice prevail over Guingamp in the final, ending 1-1 in regular time and decided 4-3 in favour of Nice after a dramatic penalty shootout.

GFFN | George Boxall