Next Up: Can the future be now for OGC Nice?
After the ignominy of the first half of their season, could OGC Nice start turning a corner by looking to their academy? We take a closer look at Les Aiglons' recent play under Claude Puel with a focus on some of the surprising standouts.
A challenging first half of the season
Once tipped to be a legitimate challenger to the hierarchy of Ligue 1 McDonald's thanks to the largesse of INEOS, things have gone rather differently for OGC Nice of late. Franck Haise, one of the top managers in the French game, had helped the team finish in fourth place last season, but Les Aiglons were badly outclassed by Benfica in the playoff round in the Champions League, and failed to reach the league phase. Their stint in the Europa League was equally poor, with the team losing seven of their eight league phase matches.
A clash with fans saw attackers Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi moved on in the winter window, and a raft of key injuries and absences owing to AFCON hardly helped matters, and Haise departed at the end of 2025, with the team foundering in a sporting sense and the target of no small amount of ire from their fanbase. Relegation was a real worry, with promoted Paris FC looking a strong side, and Nice's hierarchy made the move to bring in Claude Puel, a manager of no small amount of experience.
Kaïl Boudache, 19 years old ✨#ogcnfcl pic.twitter.com/MEAcwswTiS
— OGC Nice 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@ogcnice_eng) February 22, 2026
Puel changes the tide
Despite no small amount of outlay this summer, Nice's transfer window had been largely disastrous -- Yehvann Diouf was inconsistent in goal, and has now been dropped for Maxime Dupé. Further forward, attackers Isak Jansson and Kevin Carlos have struggled to make any sort of impact. Added to this, there were also long-term injuries to the likes of Morgan Sanson, Dante, Youssouf Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Abdelmomem. Indeed, at times Nice have played match missing an entire first team eleven for various reasons.
While it's been somewhat needs must for Puel, he has helped the team find form in recent weeks by relying not on the summer's arrivals but a cadre of younger players and academy products. Two of these -- Tom Louchet and Kail Boudache were on the scoresheet in yesterday's draw with in-form Lorient, but Antoine Mendy has also been key for Les Aiglons as both he and Louchet have showcased their versatility.
As well as the team's academy products, Puel has also moved to welcome the likes of Mohamed-Ali Cho and Sofiane Diop back into the fold -- the pair are now regulars on the wing and have combined for seven goal contributions since Puel's return. While a return to Europe is a bridge too far, with Nice ten points off seventh place, having lost just twice in their last eight matches, there is nevertheless a renewed positivity around the Allianz Rivieira, and with the Coupe de France still in play (Nice face Lorient in the quarterfinals next midweek), there is still every hope that this season can end on a positive note for Les Aiglons, with Puel's penchant for renewal the vital difference.
