Olivier Pantaloni: Next up in Nice
After promotion and an impressive mid-table finish with FC Lorient, manager Olivier Pantaloni is on the move again, having been recently confirmed as manager of OGC Nice. Learn more about Les Aiglons' new boss with our exclusive profile.
Corsican through and through
Born in Bastia on the island of Corsica, Pantaloni had a peripatetic career as a young striker, spending time with both Gazelec Ajaccio and Ajaccio -- the club with which he retains the strongest association. After a brief spell with Bastia, he was signed by Saint-Étienne in 1990, but spent much of that time on loan, with both Martigues and Gazelec. Back with AC Ajaccio in 1994, he would go on to play seven seasons there, scoring 37 times without ever being especially prolific, but notably sticking with the club despite a relegation to the third tier.
Following his retirement, he joined the staff of Rolland Courbis in 2001, and spent several years as an assistant before being given the first-team job in 2009. Aside from one tumultuous season with Tours in 2013-14, he would spend the next fifteen years in charge, managing more than 500 matches, including a memorable two seasons in Ligue 1 after winning promotion before departing in 2024.
Olivier Pantaloni appointed coach of OGC Nice. ✍️
➡️ https://t.co/Ol9jUmAytS pic.twitter.com/RU7DOHczMT— OGC Nice 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@ogcnice_eng) June 17, 2026
Taking the next step with Lorient
After his time in Corsica, Pantaloni looked for a new challenge after taking the reins of relegated Lorient in the summer of 2024. His first season was a resounding success as he led Les Merlus to an immediate promotion and was named Ligue 2 Manager of the Year, but 2025/26 was an achievement of another level. Back in Ligue 1 McDonald's, he blended veteran talent like Laurent Abergel with exciting youngsters like Arsène Kouassi and Arthur Avom to finish tenth, level on points with Toulouse in ninth. In doing the double over far more monied clubs like Monaco and Rennes, as well as drawing twice against Paris Saint-Germain, Pantaloni showed this season that he could get a team of modest means playing positive football with success in the standings.
Despite his strong association with Corsica, it should be noted that his appointment at Nice represents a homecoming. While Pantaloni made his professional debut with Bastia, he also spent a part of his youth career with Les Aiglons, before returning to the island to join the first team with I Turchini. Now, as he replaces Claude Puel, he'll have plenty of work to do to retool a team whose struggles in the back end of the season belied their obvious talent. Speaking on his appointment Pantaloni averred that we wants to approach the project "with great humility but also a lot of determination."
