Yesterday morning, OGC Nice welcomed the young supporters of the club to attend the professional team’s morning training. The occasion was used by the club to launch the second season of the “Méfi Club” and for the young fans to see the players up close.
After a successful first season with over 1,000 registrants, OGC Nice decided to recommit to the Méfi Club. Yesterday morning, more than a hundred children under the age of 12 attended the morning training session of OGC Nice players. From 8:30 am, the youngsters played various games offered by the club to entertain them during the morning. Penalty shots with inflatable goals, foot tennis or simply juggling, the children had a great time. “It’s cool to be able to play while they arrive. Plus, we have lots of things to do,” said Quentin, a 10-year-old Gym supporter for “a long time.”
A training session as an appetizer
Finally, the players arrived. Dante, Allan Saint-Maximin, Pierre Lees-Melou, and Walter Benitez received loud applause. The young fans moved closer to the players and settled on the edge of the field. This was followed by a long wait for the young Gym supporters. Well in the shade but under a temperature of more than 28 degrees (already at 10 a.m.), the children watched the training and the players’ exercises attentively. “We can see them up close, it’s great. If they shoot off-target, I can even retrieve the ball,” noted Hugo, who is almost 9 years old and almost forgot about captain Dante passing right behind him. To end the session, Patrick Vieira’s men stood in front of the goal and took their shots. The children cheered to encourage Danilo, who made the best impression in front of the goal.
Autographs as the cherry on top
After the traditional photo between players and supporters, there were no more rules. A hundred children rushed toward the players for autographs and photos. The players gladly and cheerfully participated in the exercise. “It’s friendly, they shout, they call us, they always smile, they ask us for autographs; I find it nice and different from adults. I know when I was young, I would have liked moments like this with the pros, so we try to give back as much affection as they have for us,” said midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou between autographs. All the players joined in with a smile, which delighted the children. “I got Lees-Melou, Sarr, Hérelle, Cyprien, and many others. I’m so happy,” said Hugo, clinging to his autograph book.
A fan section 100% dedicated to children
As the Méfi Club returns this year, the club’s objective is to do even better. Over 1,000 members last season (as of today, in less than 2 weeks, already more than 200 children have registered) is the number to beat. The activities will remain the same: gifts, exclusive events with players (training, press conferences, or other events), meetings throughout the year, or being present when the players arrive at the Allianz Riviera stadium. This year, the Aiglons have added something new: the creation of a 100% children’s fan section during matches at the Allianz Riviera. A space in the center of the Garibaldi stand will be set up throughout the season to allow children to support, shout, and sing like a real fan section. “It’s a good thing; they’ll be able to have their own fan section, sing and shout all together and, most importantly, support the team. It’s true that children’s voices can be heard; it’s a special feature we will have here. We like to do things our way here at the Gym, so it’s one more thing we’re going to add,” added Malang Sarr, OGC Nice defender.
The season is thus almost launched for the Aiglons. Aside from negotiations on the potential takeover of the club (according to Nice-Matin, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe reportedly visited Nice’s facilities yesterday), the players are flying out today to Portugal for a friendly match (tonight at 8:45 p.m.) against Boavista. They will then head to England for three friendly matches against Burnley, Cardiff, and Leicester before starting the new season at home on August 10th against Amiens.
