Forgive the pun that is barely that, but Nice are a nice club.
They are always there, or thereabouts, knocking about the top ten of Ligue 1. Last season, there was a bit of interest surrounding them because they loaned in Ross Barkley and Aaron Ramsey.
A couple of years earlier, attention was slightly piqued across the channel when Patrick Vieira was their manager. Their kit is quite lovely.
The Eaglets last won a trophy in 1997 and last won the French league title in 1959. At the start of this term, their odds in the live betting markets ahead of the opening weekend was around 25/1, as it always is. They, after all, are Nice and they share a league with PSG, Mbappe and all.
And that is pretty much the summation of OGC Nice’s standing overseas. This summer nobody beyond France noticed their transfer activity that on paper was entirely ordinary – bringing in Terem Moffi from Lorient and loaning in Aston Villa flop Morgan Sanson – because why would they?
Similarly nobody batted an eyelid when Nice recruited a new coach named Francesco Farioli, a young Italian whose slight C.V. includes brief stints at Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor in Turkey.
Again, why would we, when Luis Enrique was taking the helm at PSG and Adi Hutter was being appointed by Monaco? Besides, there was quite enough going on in the Premier League to engross us. Kane leaving. Arsenal signing Rice. Chelsea signing everyone.
Scrap all that though because there is something distinctly odd happening on the Riviera, something that demands column inches and at the very least some curiosity. In fact, a miracle is afoot.
Ten games into the Ligue 1 campaign, and OGC Nice are topping it, keeping seven clean sheets along the way. The only side yet to be beaten, their surprising and fabulous run has seen them win in Paris and win in Monaco, both victories thoroughly deserved.
Just shy of a third through the season therefore, it’s time to ask, what the heck is going on?
Farioli, that’s what is going on. Mentored by the brilliant Roberto De Zerbi, albeit as a goalkeeping coach at Benevento and Sassuolo, the 34-year-old has transformed his new side, forging a collective who works for one another as a unit.
It is telling that the statistically most impressive 11 performers in Ligue 1 to date, when put together as a team, contains no OGC Nice players. The same goes for the assists chart and the leading goalscorer list. Moffi leads the way for the Eaglets on just three.
At the back though, this is a side that is conceding a goal every 225 minutes and when you’re that parsimonious it only takes a chance conjured up by French international midfielder Khephren Thuram, or former Sassuolo creative Jeremie Boga, to secure the points. Nine of Nice’s ten matches have produced two or fewer goals.
It may not be particularly entertaining, but what will that matter so long as the ludicrously rich behemoth from the capital is held off until May? And a miracle occurs.
Presently, Nice are still distantly priced to pull off such a sensational feat, with PSG odds on in the Ligue 1 betting to win their tenth title in 12 years. But watch this space...
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
