Where Nice has been known as one of the most beautiful coastal cities of Europe for centuries, OGC Nice had been the ugly duckling for a long time in France. But times are changing, a brand new stadium and foreign investments have turned them into a serious contender in the French Ligue 1. Sun, sea and football: life can hardly be better than in Nice.
Waving palm trees, an azure blue sea, wide boulevards and a radiant sun. That's Nice, the city on the Côte d'Azur with international allure. Not a city where you immediately think about football, but more and more, OGC Nice is becoming a vital part of the city in south-eastern France. After four league titles in the 50's of last century, the Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice descended in the hierarchy, but the last decade they've found their way up back again. A new stadium came and Le Gym managed to bring in some high-profile players, which resulted in a permanent place in the top half of the table. New owner INEOS invests a lot in young talent, hoping to join the French top teams now and forever.
The old Stade du Ray was much loved by the fanatic fans of Nice, but a new stadium had to be the catalyst for the club, struggling with poor attendance in the bottom of the table. The upcoming EURO 2016 gave the final push for the construction of Allianz Rivièra, on the edge of the city and with 35.000 seats more than twice the old stadium. For a new stadium is Allianz Rivièra, with its on a platform laying silver, transparent structure, quite beautiful, especially in the evening light. The fanatics of Nice now stand at the Tribune Populaire Sud, and are known for being very loud.
Sometimes, there are stadiums that just are simply almost perfect. Stade du Ray was one of that kind. Esthetically maybe not so beautiful (a big, grey colossus as main stand, surrounded by three uncovered pieces of concrete), but an evening in 'Lou Ray' was a real experience on its own. The fanatics high in the fences, the running down the stands after a goal, the sirening stadium announcer, the deafening firecrackers. Behind the stands palm trees, behind the tribune Sud the man with his Nice flag, following the match from his balcony. It might have been demolished in 2014, but for Nice fans, this place in the north of the city will always be a special one. Where once the Stade du Ray was, is now the Parc du Ray.
As we said, there is a park now and the stadium disappeared. But one piece has remained. At the entrance of the park at Avenue Ernest Lairolle, there's still a part of the old stands of the Stade du Ray preserved, the south-east corner of the stadium, in loving memory of the place where OGC Nice played for over 80 years. On the junction with Avenue du Ray, you'll find a second remainder: a white-red-black building with the old club crest. It's the former ticket window building.
The Place Massena is with its salmon pink building one of the most special squares in France, not far from the sea and Promenade des Anglais, the famous boulevard of the city. On the square itself you'll find, with its back to the Mediterranean Sea, the fan store of OGC Nice where you can buy a match kit, a scarf or another souvenir of the club.
It's probably no surprise to you that in Nice, where French and Italian influences come to melt together, there's plenty of options for a good dinner. At restaurant Lou Pantail for example, on the corner of Rue Caroline and Avenue Saint-Lambert. Almost on a daily base you bump into football players here, with the pictures on the wall served as evidence. Beside several OGC Nice heroes you can find local boy Hugo Lloris, David Ginola or Raphaël Varane here when they are around. Sometimes, the manager of the restaurant even challenges them for a quick game of football table tennis.
Near the old harbour you can eat at Pizzeria Les Amoureux (Boulevard Stalingrad 46), a real Italian pizzeria, with the run of the place by a real Neapolitan. That he's a real Napoli tifoso can be known because of the several scarfs and old papers at the wall. In restaurant L'Auberge des Quatre Chemins they serve a special 'Pizza Balotelli'. It marks a special place, because in this restaurant in the north west of the city (Chemin du Peyron 1, Saint-Jeannet) Balotelli signed his contract for OGC Nice, in the presence of agent Mino Raiola, Nice-manager Favre and chairman Rivière. The Pizza Balotelli comes with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and ricotta cheese and costs 10,50.
Not far from Nice you have obviously neighbour AS Monaco, but heading to the west you have some real classic football gems. A 30 minute-drive from Nice and you arrive in among the jetset of Cannes, world famous for its yearly film festival. In the area of La Bocca lays the Stade Pierre de Coubertin of AS Cannes, where a certain Zinédine Zidane debuted as a professional player. Fun fact: the stadium has extendable floodlights, because of the runway of the nearby airport of Cannes.
Even further back in time we go in Antibes, halfway Cannes and Nice. This coastal town was even a host city for the World Cup of 1938. The Stade du Fort Carré still exists - albeit unrecognizably changed - as is at the Avenue du 11. Novembre. From the pitch, you have an amazing view over the bay of Nice.
Home match tickets for OGC Nice can be bought at the official website of the club. For most games, you can still buy a ticket on match day at the stadium as well, but not when PSG, Marseille or Monaco are visiting the Allianz Rivièra.
When you approach Nice on motorway A8 from the west, you can not miss the stadium in a flat, relatively undevelopment area. It's directly adjacent to exit 52, and there's plenty of parking space created over the last years. From the city center, you can also take the tram: with tram 2 from the city and a change to tram 3 at Grand Arénas, you can reach the stadium in 30 minutes. The train is an option as well: From Nice Ville station you take the train to Nice Saint-Augustin, where you can take a shuttle bus directly to the stadium.
Beeld: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
