The difference is considerable. Olympique de Marseille and AS Monaco, like Paris Saint-Germain, are sure to compete in the next of the Champions League. This is not the case with the OGC Nice.
Thanks to its box against Brest (6-0), the gym finished in fourth place in Ligue 1.. But that does not guarantee a place in the Champions League, and the community manager of the club did well to speak of European qualification for the Aiglons, without specifying what competition the team of Franck Haise will play next season.
As it stands, the OGC Nice simply holds its ticket for the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League. The Azureans therefore have two laps to cross, in August, before rallying the main phase.
Nice in danger
The example to follow is of course that of Lille. In this situation, the Dogues had eliminated the fenerbahçe of José Mourinho (2-1, 1-1 AP) then the Slavia Prague (2-0, 1-2). Leaving from afar, Bruno Genesio's men had even reached the knockout stages.
On the other hand, historically, these barrage towers are synonymous with suffering for French clubs. In 2023-2024, OM fell from above, from the 3rd preliminary round, against Panathinaikos. Same thing for AS Monaco the previous season, facing the PSV Eindhoven. And the year before, the Monegasques had fallen into a dam, opposite the Shakhtar Donetsk.
It is therefore far from being made for the OGC Nice, which will not be the lead for the draw for the 3rd preliminary round. The Aiglons could face the Benfica Lisbon or the Feyenoord Rotterdam. Bruges and the Rangers, in the current state of things, would be the other two potential opponents. And for Nice, we will have to show another face than in the Europa League this season. Because otherwise, in the event of elimination in the 3rd preliminary round or in the dam, it will be direction … the C3.
