For a moment in January, an old Riviera favourite was close to stepping back into the picture. OGC Nice explored the possibility of bringing Hatem Ben Arfa back to the club as they searched for solutions during a difficult winter, with president Jean-Pierre Rivère sounding out the former France international.
Rivère had returned in December to help a club he previously led from 2011 until August 2025. Nice were struggling and looking to strengthen their options in the winter window, while the prospect of a Coupe de France run added another layer to the approach. The club have since reached the final.
Ben Arfa, now 39, was tempted by the idea of returning to the Côte d’Azur, where he produced one of the finest seasons of his career. In 2015-16, he scored 18 Ligue 1 goals and created seven more in 37 appearances, driving Nice to fourth place and becoming a lasting favourite among the supporters.
There had remained contact between the club and the attacking midfielder, but the proposed reunion did not lead to a contract. Claude Puel’s reservations were among the factors behind the move falling through; Puel had also coached Ben Arfa at Nice a decade earlier.
Ben Arfa has not played competitively since leaving Lille in 2022. He has never publicly confirmed his retirement from football and has mainly been playing padel in recent years. The January discussion nevertheless offered the brief possibility of one more Nice chapter for a player whose 2015-16 campaign still carries a special place in the club’s modern story.
