Ten years of the allianz riviera

One day, one stat: They coached OGC Nice at the Allianz Riviera

To mark the tenth anniversary of the Allianz Riviera, the OGC Nice media team will bring you one stat each day about our stadium. After the players, it's time for the coaches! From Claude Puel to Francesco Farioli, seven coaches have helmed OGC Nice at the Allianz Riviera. Here's what they achieved.

Claude Puel (at the Allianz Riviera from 2013 to 2016)

The first OGC Nice coach to sit on the bench at the Allianz Riviera, Claude Puel managed 59 matches at Le Gym's new stadium. He racked up 28 wins (nine draws, 22 defeats), including the biggest win in the stadium's history (6-1 against Bordeaux in September 2015, a record equalled by Didier Digard's Gym against Montpellier in January 2023). The last of their 28 victories under Puel (2-0 against Saint-Etienne in an electric atmosphere) gave Nice fans the chance to experience their first European thrills in the Plaine du Var.

Lucien Favre (at the Allianz Riviera between 2016 and 2018 and again in 2022)

The Swiss coach holds the record for the most games coached at the Allianz Riviera, beating Claude Puel by just one length (60 games). With 31 wins (including 27 in his first spell at the Allianz Riviera), Lucien Favre came close to achieving a notable feat by going an entire Ligue 1 season unbeaten at home. However, after 14 wins and four draws, Nice’s stellar run came to and end as Angers got the better of them in the final home game of the season.

The Swiss is also the most-capped coach in European competition at the Allianz Riviera, where he  coached 13 of the 18 games the club have played on the continental stage.

Patrick Vieira (2018 - 2020)

Before returning to the Côte d'Azur with Strasbourg in Round 3 of the Ligue 1 season (Nice won 2-0), Patrick Vieira had spent 47 games at the Allianz Riviera as coach of OGC Nice. The 1998 world champion, who was enjoying his first experience as as a head coach in Europe, won 23 games, including 20 in his first two seasons.

Adrian Ursea (2020-21)

Assistant to Lucien Favre and then Patrick Vieira, Adrian Ursea spent 14 games as head coach at the Allianz Riviera. Unfortunately, his five victories (including the superb 3-0 derby win over OM) were never celebrated with the fans, as all those games were played behind closed doors due to the Covid pandemic.

Christophe Galtier (2021-22)

Appointed the following season, Christophe Galtier won as many home games (12) as he did away ones (12). Although his team's biggest success came in an empty stadium (a 4-0 win over Bordeaux), their finest night came in the Coupe de France, with an emphatic 4-1 victory over OM in the quarter-finals.

Didier Digard (2023)

Didier Digard was on the pitch for the first-ever match at the Allianz Riviera, against Valenciennes (4-0), wearing the captain's armband, and went on to play 21 games at the club ’s new home. The current coach of OGC Nice's elite youth squad spent 13 matches as first-team coach, winning six (drawing four and losing three).

Francesco Farioli (From 2023)

The third Italian coach in the history of OGC Nice, Francesco Farioli will be facing Brest (Sunday 1 October) in his fourth match on the bench at the Allianz Riviera, where his team remain unbeaten (draws with Lille and Lyon, victory over Strasbourg).


F.H.