Tag: Nice

  • Man Utd, Nice facing UEFA ban

    Man Utd, Nice facing UEFA ban

    Premier League club Manchester United and and French side Nice are facing a UEFA ban next season over Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s co-ownership.

    The Sun says United and Nice face being blocked if they both qualify for the same competition.

    The two clubs are on track to qualify for the Europa League this season.

    A UEFA source said: “It is correct that Manchester United and Nice cannot play in the same competition.

    “They could play in different competitions, as there is no ‘feeding’ between competitions any more.”

  • Israel- Hamas: Algerian player accused of supporting terrorism, detained in France

    Israel- Hamas: Algerian player accused of supporting terrorism, detained in France

    Algerian footballer, Youcef Atal who plies his trade with Ligue 1 side,  Nice of France has been detained by French Police after he published a social-media post on the ongoing war in Israel and Palestine.

    In the probe launched against Atal, he was charged of suspected “justification of terrorism”

    Atal has been criticised for sharing a video from a Palestinian preacher on Instagram, purportedly calling for violence against Jewish people.

    Recall that last month, the 27-year-old Algerian defender was banned for seven matches over the post, which he quickly deleted and subsequently issued an apology.

    The public prosecutor in Nice opened a probe following a request from the local prefect and mayor of Nice.

    Prosecutors later said that Atal will face trial for incitement to religious hatred on December 18 at the Nice criminal court.

    His club, Nice of France had already suspended him for the duration of his trial.

    Despite the player’s apology, OGC Nice said that it decided to “take immediate” action, “prior” to any sanctions that might be taken by sporting or judicial bodies, “given the nature of the publication shared and its seriousness”.

    In mid-October, the Nice public prosecutor announced the opening of an investigation into “justification of terrorism.”

    France, which has large Jewish and Muslim populations, ramped up security after Hamas launched massive attacks on Israel on October 7.

     

  • Why I parted ways with 9ice – ID Cabasa

    Why I parted ways with 9ice – ID Cabasa

    Nigerian music producer and singer, Olumide Ogunade, professionally known as ID Cabasa, has finally revealed why he fell out with his former signee, Abolore Akande, popularly called 9ice.

    ID Cabasa while granting an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Cabasa said that 9ice was upset by his decision to continue working with his ex-wife, Toni Seun Payne.

    Recall that Payne was managing artists under Cabasa’s Coded Tunes Record, a label that had 9ice and singer Olamide.

    According to the music producer, Nice wasn’t okay with the fact that Toni Payne was still on the team despite their break up.

    Cabasa has revealed why he chose to keep Payne on his team.

    He said his reason to keep her was because of Zion, Nice’s son who was born in 2008.

    He said: “When I started pushing Olamide, you noticed I brought Toni Payne in. 9ice was angry but he had no idea why I brought her in. I brought her in because I needed to keep Payne and her son, Zion, close to 9ice. I felt 9ice may never see his son again if she takes Zion abroad.”

  • A surprise to chat about Arsenal days with Wenger – Ramsey

    A surprise to chat about Arsenal days with Wenger – Ramsey

    Nice midfielder Aaron Ramsey was happy to meet up with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger earlier this season.

    Ramsey was signed by Wenger and played 329 of his 371 Arsenal games under the Frenchman. His game saw huge improvements under Wenger’s management, winning three FA Cups under him.

    The 72-year-old was visiting the coaching staff and ended up reminiscing with Ramsey about their Gunners days.

    “I hadn’t seen Arsène for a few years so it was a really nice surprise to chat about the Arsenal days and old stories,” he said.

    “I always get sucked in and intrigued by what he has to say.

    “We had plenty to look back over those 10, 11 years.”

  • BAMISE: How BRT driver allegedly turned commercial bus to rape avenue

    BAMISE: How BRT driver allegedly turned commercial bus to rape avenue

    Just as Oluwabamise Ayanwola got missing while returning to Ota from Ajah on Saturday, February 26 after she boarded a Bus Rapid Transit vehicle, BRT, bus with number 240257, driven by Nice Omininikoron, going to Oshodi at about 7 p.m. at Chevron Bus-Stop, a medical doctor, Onyinyechi Anoke, has narrated how she escaped being raped by the accused, in a BRT bus driven by him.

     

    Anoke, who is the second lady accusing the suspect, who was remanded in prison on Friday, of rape after the death of Bamise, said her experience are similar to the late Bamise’s revelation in the text and audio chats the deceased sent to her friend after sensing danger inside Nice’s BRT.

     

    The narratives of the medical doctor and a former salesgirl are similar to the late Bamise’s revelation in the text and audio chats the deceased sent to her friend after sensing danger inside Nice’s BRT.

     

    Anoke explained that the incident happened in December 2021, one month after Nice allegedly raped a former salesgirl in Lagos.

     

    Presenting a call log showing Nice’s confirmation that she didn’t give him a fake phone number, the contact number was traced to the accused “Andrew Nice Lbsl”.

     

    Anoke, who is in her late 20s, said she was going home after visiting a friend on the day she had an encounter with the BRT driver.

     

    She narrated, “He (referring to Andrew) talked about spending the night with him, and all the nonsense, but I politely deflected with the excuse that I’ve already stayed out much later than agreed and my parents were calling me, but that I could see him the next day, or even spend the entire weekend (weekend I would already be in Asaba ).

     

    “It’s actually not funny. From the conversation he said his name was Andrew, he doesn’t usually ply that route, that he’s more on the Island, and lives in Sagamu and would most likely not see me again, that I’m scamming him.

     

    “By this time, he had gotten to the next bus stop, still refused to pick anybody, instead moved ahead a bit and parked, and put out the bus lights. There was stark darkness within, though the street lights illuminated the surroundings so I could see people but no one could see me.

     

    “How do I signal these passers-by for help? Everywhere was still tightly locked in all of this so all conversations were contained within. He said we should move to the back row and talk better.

     

    “My body language kept speaking unease, and I kept looking at my wrist watch signalling to him that I was late and we could meet earlier the next day, anywhere he wanted and talk as long as he wanted.

     

    “By this time, he had already collected my phone numbers (yeah, he ensured to collect the 2 lines he saw on my phone, dialed both to ensure I wasn’t giving him wrong numbers and saw them ring). As earlier said, my best bet at safety was to go with the flow, while strategising for better options, and so I did.

     

    “Baba dragged me by the hands, and as usual I didn’t struggle but followed him to the back row. By now it was established in my head that this is most likely going to end as an attempted but failed rape case (I didn’t even think for a second that it was going to be successful.

     

    “My fight response was on a high and I racked my brain for all the possible things I could do to temporarily subdue him and be hitting the bus till people from outside noticed me.

     

    “I’d had three such previous attempts in younger years and God somehow always helped me escape untouched from those locked rooms so he wouldn’t allow this infidel to do this now. I would rather die than let it happen (though the picture in my head was more of me harming him with his weapon if he brought out any).

     

    “I had a feeling he might stab me and I kept looking out for any attempts of him bringing out a pocket knife and how I was going to struggle for and collect it (blame too much crime and thriller novels).

     

    “As he made to run his hands on my body indiscriminately, I subtly pushed him away, curled into myself and used my elbow as a wedge. He flared up, saying if I said I liked him just like he liked me, why am I resisting.

     

    “I told him I’m just anxious to get home already that’s why not because I didn’t like him. He just kept acting weird and looking outside in one direction most of the time. Guess he was looking out for someone or something.

     

    After a while, he got frustrated and moved back to his driver seat and continued the journey. As he just moved, my mom’s call came in coincidentally, and I ensured to put it on speaker, tell her which bus stop we just left and that I would be home in about five minutes. He drove in silence for the rest of the trip until we got to my bus stop and he opened the door and decided to pick passengers.”

     

    Ex-salesgirl’s ordeal:

    Narrating her ordeal on Thursday, the lady accused Omininikoron of raping her on the BRT bus on November 25, 2021.

     

    The former salesgirl at a shop in Ajah said after she closed from work around 8 pm, she boarded the BRT bus driven by the suspect.

     

    The driver was to convey her from the Alesh Bus Stop in Ajah, to Jakande, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, when things took another dimension.

    The victim said she could not call for help because Omininikoron parked the bus at a desolate location, adding that he refused to let her go after allegedly raping her.

     

    She also claimed that Nice threatened to stab her.

     

    A statement of account provided by the victim confirmed Omininikoron sent N3,000 to her on November 25, 2021.

     

    A video clip of her torn clothes was also seen.

     

  • Ligue 1: Patrick Vieira loses Nice job

    Arsenal great Patrick Vieira has been sacked as coach of Nice.

    Nice have sacked manager Patrick Vieira after overseeing a run of five consecutive defeats, culminating in the French club’s disappointing exit from the Europa League on Thursday night, according to reports in France.

    The Ligue 1 side are languishing in 11th place in the French top flight after 11 games this season, an underwhelming start for Vieira after guiding them to a fifth-placed finish last campaign.

    Nice Matin says Vieira has been sacked after a meeting with the club’s leaders in the aftermath of the game. The outlet reports that coaches Adrian Ursea and Frédéric Gioria will oversee the first team until a new manager is appointed.

  • Ligue 1: Di Maria sends PSG five points clear as Nice see red

    Ligue 1: Di Maria sends PSG five points clear as Nice see red

    Angel Di Maria once again proved his worth with a double that earned Paris St Germain a 4-1 win at Nice and a five-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings on Friday.

    The result put PSG on 24 points from 10 games as Nice finished with nine men after Wylan Cyprien and Christophe Herelle were sent off during the last 20 minutes.

    They however reduced the arrears in the second half through Ignatius Ganago.

    Kylian Mbappe came off the bench in the closing stages to round off the win to mark his return from injury.

    Nice are ninth on 13 points.

    Nantes, who are second on 19 points, will play Metz on Saturday.

    Olympique Lyonnais’ new coach Rudi Garcia will make his debut at home against Dijon in the day’s opening match.

  • Sacked Nice player: Jealousy led to watch theft

    Sacked Nice player: Jealousy led to watch theft

    Lamine Diaby-Fadiga has admitted he stole former Nice team-mate Kasper Dolberg’s £62,000 watch out of “jealousy”.

    Dolberg, who joined Nice from Ajax in August, had his watch stolen in the dressing room after a training session on September 16 and reported the theft to police.

    Diaby-Fadiga later confessed to the theft and was sacked by the Ligue 1 club on Tuesday.

    The 18-year-old, who apologised to Dolberg, also posted a lengthy apology on Twitter.

     

    “After several days of an unprecedented media storm for me, I have decided to speak via this statement,” he tweeted.

    “I would like to first of all apologise to the fans and those who love Le Gym [club’s nickname]. A lot of them supported me and showed me kindness since I made my professional debut, as a youngster from the local region who joined the club when I was 14. Their reactions embody the level of disappointment that they feel towards me and I owe them some explanations.

    “I proudly wore the club of my childhood’s shirt last season in Ligue 1. I was unfortunately injured for several months and my return to competitive action was further delayed following a red card I picked up while playing for the U19s.”

    “That affected me mentally and my difficult situation contrasted starkly the success and aura of Kasper, my team-mate. I took it out on him without having any reason to do so, maybe a bit because of jealousy. Instead of trying to battle on the pitch to provide him with competition for places, I reacted stupidly towards him.

    “My actions were not taken out of an appetite to gain something from it, but out of spite, frustration and feeling discredited. Of course, I am only 18, but my age excuses nothing. I therefore owned up to what I had done to Kasper, Mr Fournier, the director general of the club, Patrick Vieira, my coach and Dante, my captain. One by one, I apologised to each one of them.

    “I also took on the responsibility of reimbursing my team-mate fully, which I have now done. I wish him a lot of success at OGC Nice and in his career. Maybe one day we will come across each other on a pitch and this affair will be merely a bad memory.

    “Now, I am leaving the club where I had always wanted to succeed and enjoy myself, which for me is the greatest possible punishment. I thank all those who believed in me. I hope to be able to prove one day that they were right and that I am worth more than what has happened. Redemption for me will come on the football pitch and I now want to concentrate on my passion, football.”

    Despite the incident, Diaby-Fadiga has been linked with a potential move to Ligue 2 team Paris FC, who recently added free agent Jeremy Menez to their team.

    Sky Sports

  • Ligue 1: Nice sack player for stealing team-mate’s watch

    Ligue 1: Nice sack player for stealing team-mate’s watch

    French Ligue 1 club Nice have sacked Lamine Diaby-Fadiga after he admitted stealing a watch worth a reported £62,000 from team-mate Kasper Dolberg.

    Denmark forward Dolberg, 21, had his watch stolen from the dressing room on 16 September and reported the theft to police.

    Striker Diaby-Fadiga, 18, has represented France at Under-18 level.

    “Nice and Lamine Diaby-Fadiga parted ways on Tuesday,” said a club statement.

    “Following the theft of Kasper Dolberg’s watch from the changing room, and the subsequent admission of the player, the club decided to cancel its contract with the forward with immediate effect.

    “Above and beyond all sporting and financial consideration, Nice cannot and will not accept such behaviour that betrays the confidence that unites all the club’s employees and all the members of the Rouge et Noir [Red and Black] family.”

    Dolberg moved to Nice from Ajax in the summer, while Diaby-Fadiga had been with the club for three years.

    Nice, sixth in Ligue 1, play away at third-placed Nantes on Saturday.

  • Transfer news: Balotelli to join Marseille from Nice

    Italy striker Mario Balotelli has agreed to join Olympique Marseille from fellow Ligue 1 side Nice on a six-month contract, French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday.

    The newspaper added that the 28-year-old, who has also played for Inter Milan and AC Milan, as well as Manchester City and Liverpool, would have a medical on Wednesday.

    Marseille were not immediately available to comment.

    Balotelli’s contract was due to expire in June.

    Marseille are seventh in the standings, level on 31 points with eighth-placed Nice who have played a game more.