With two days to go before the end of the season and the Aiglons in the battle for a European place, Jim Ratcliffe attended training on Thursday morning and spoke to the squad. Chief among them was Christophe Galtier. "It was an informal conversation," said the Gym coach in his press conference. "He enjoys being on the pitch with the players, the technical staff and the medical staff.”

For the Nice coach, the presence of the owner of OGC Nice on Thursday is above all "a strong message, for the players, the staff and the club. He has a great determination that we will be more successful next season (...) There will be a reflection on where and how we can improve. (...) In a period that is not easy, it is important that everyone sees him. His presence is both a moral support and proof of the commitment and ambition he has for the club.”

On Thursday morning, the presence of Dave Brailsford (Director of Sport at INEOS) at the side of the club owner was also noticed: "I know what he did at the 2012 Olympic Games, what he has achieved in cycling with Sky and the INEOS Grenadiers. He has been in contact with Julien (Fournier) and me for several weeks now to exchange and analyse. From what I know from people who have been in contact with him for years, he is a brilliant, straightforward and loyal man who always works to win," said Christophe Galtier. "It is always positive for a club to have this type of personality in-house to develop a winning culture. He is focused on high performance.  We have to build on what he has done and passed on. Whatever the sport. Elite sport is always linked to this requirement. If we can benefit from his collaboration on high performance, it is a very good thing.”

Fabien Hill