Three weeks without Ligue 1 has left Olivier Pantaloni impatient for the lights to come back on. Nice return to action on Sunday against Strasbourg, but their coach believes the international break stretched beyond a useful length.
The move
Pantaloni said the interruption had been too long as the French top flight prepares for its sixth round of fixtures this weekend.
“In my view, it was too long,” the Nice coach said on Thursday. “Three weeks without playing is too much, especially when around ten players leave for international duty.”
Nice host Strasbourg on Sunday at 15:00, with Pantaloni assessing how his squad will respond after the extended pause.
The French season around it
The break also gave Nice an opportunity to work with younger members of the group while international players were away. Pantaloni praised the commitment of those who remained at the training ground.
“It allows you to look at young players,” he said. “The players who stayed with us every day showed a great deal of seriousness.”
Nice also used the pause to arrange a friendly against Swiss second-tier side Carouge last Saturday, winning 1-0. Pantaloni felt the match helped his team retain sharpness and gave returning injured players valuable time on the pitch.
“The friendly helped us keep our rhythm,” he said. “It was beneficial because we could bring back players who were recovering from injuries.”
Still, the coach’s final verdict was clear, delivered with a smile: the wait for Ligue 1 football had been too long.
