Decades Later: OGC Nice Appoints New Manager After Crisis and League Survival

Pulse Sports Team 18:17 - 17 June 2026

Olivier Pantaloni has been named the new head coach of OGC Nice. The management of the French club, which only secured its Ligue 1 status last season through a playoff, announced his appointment on Wednesday. The 59-year-old coach replaces Claude Puel, under whom Nice maintained their top-flight position in a two-legged tie against Saint-Etienne.

Pantaloni played in Nice's youth teams back in the 1980s. He joins the club from Lorient, which was promoted to Ligue 1 in 2025, with his squad finishing 10th last season. "I'm thrilled to return to the south of France and to a club I know well. It's up to us to meet the fans' expectations and restore Nice to its former glory," Pantaloni stated.

The four-time French champions are navigating a turbulent period. The club has a new president, Maurice Cohen, but still lacks a sporting director following Florian Maurice's departure. Nice is owned by Ineos, the company of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, which, according to media reports, is in talks to sell the club to an American investment fund.

Nice has already sold winger Jeremie Boga to Juventus this summer, and Belgian midfielder Charles Vanhoutte is also reportedly close to a move to Feyenoord.