With just two days to go before Les Aiglons travel to Lille to round out the 2023/2024 season, we take a look back at some of the end-of-season fixtures that have provided great moments for Le Gym fans even when the stakes have been low or non-existent.

Already assured of finishing the season in fifth place, OGC Nice travel to Lille to take on LOSC on Sunday (21:00) in Ligue 1's 34th and final round of the season. It's a game with nothing at stake for Nice, but Les Aiglons will nonetheless be keen to end their 2023/2024 campaign on a positive note. Les Rouge et Noir, who have lost just once in their last eight Ligue 1 games, have in previous seasons also found themselves in the peculiar position of going into their final game of the season with nothing to play for - but that hasn't stopped them from treating their fans to some great nights out. 

A spectacular finale at The Stadium

TOULOUSE 2-3 NICE (R38, season 2014/2015)

With top-flight survival already in the bag, Claude Puel's Gym travelled to The Stadium to take on Toulouse in the closing game of the 2014/2015 season on Saturday 23 May. Victorious against Lens thanks to Jordan Amavi and Didier Digard the previous week, Les Aiglons had enough of a lead over the drop zone to conclude their year without pressure in Haute-Garonne. With a rejuvenated line-up that included five youth academy graduates (Mouez Hassen, Olivier Boscagli, Vincent Koziello, Albert Rafetraniaina and Neal Maupay), Les Rouge et Noir took an early lead through Maupay, who opportunistically converted Carlos Eduardo's assist into a goal (0-1, 8'). It was then the turn of Nice playmaker Eric Bauthéac to add to the scoreline, first with a left-footed drive after a lightning counter-attack (0-2, 34'), then with a sublime direct free-kick from the right (0-3, 53'). 

 

Safe in the knowledge that they had taken the lead, Le Gym nonetheless had a scare in the closing stages, conceding two goals in quick succession, to Wissam Ben Yedder (80') and Oscar Trejo (81'). It was too little too late, however, to prevent Les Aiglons from winning and ending their season in eleventh place.

No stakes but a great show!

LYON 3-3 NICE (R38, season 2016/2017

A spectacular conclusion to an historic season. Assured of a superb third-place finish after the club's best season of the 21st century, Les Aiglons travelled to Lyon on 20 May 2017 to take on an opponent whom they trailed by eleven points in the standings. Weakened by the absence of several key players, including Dante, Ricardo Pereira, Mario Balotelli and Alassane Pléa, Lucien Favre and his charges were surprised from the outset when Maxime Le Marchand unfortunately deflected Memphis Depay's cross into his own goal (1-0, 10').
The rest was up to the forwards. Armed with the desire not to end their exceptional season with a defeat, Les Rouge et Noir reacted thanks to "Tassos" Donis, who was rewarded for his good pressing on Anthony Lopes (1-1, 15'). Lyon went back in front thanks to Lacazette at the start of the second half (2-1, 48'), but the Greek centre-forward, on loan from Juventus, put Les Aiglons back on level terms by scoring his fifth Nice goal thanks to an assist from Dalbert (2-2, 69'). 
It was a short-lived respite, however, as Lyon's top marksman restored his side's lead with almost ten minutes remaining (3-2, 78'). Nonetheless, Le Gym fought back to snatch a draw. In added time, Jean-Michaël Séri, captain for the night, converted a penalty awarded to Bassem Srarfi (3-3, 90'+4) to bring a happy conclusion to a 2016/2017 season that Nice fans will never forget.

a derby and a beautiful moment to end it all

NICE 2-0 MONACO (R38, season 2018/2019)

Although they were certain of finishing the season in the top ten, Les Aiglons had no hope of securing a European ticket when they turned up at the Allianz Riviera to take on AS Monaco on 24 May 2019. But the prospect of closing out the year with a derby victory over a neighbour fighting for survival gave Patrick Vieira's men a boost, and they turned in a solid performance to win 2-0 and finish the season in seventh place. Initially forced onto the back foot, Le Gym were saved by goalkeeper Walter Benitez, who pulled off a number of decisive saves before Les Aiglons went in front shortly before half-time. Following a cross from Youcef Atal, Benoît Badiashile inadvertently beat his own keeper to give Les Rouge et Noir the lead (1-0, 36'). 
Benitez pulled off another classy save to deny Cesc Fabregas in the second half, but the home side were generally in control, taking advantage of Djibril Sidibé's foul on Allan Saint-Maximin to earn a penalty. Mickaël Le Bihan, who had been struggling with injury problems, made sure of Nice's victory by scoring his first goal in over two years. 
What happened next? A wonderful moment with the fans as the players and coach climbed one by one to the perch of the Populaire Sud stand to celebrate a successful end to the season.

REMONTADA IN LYON

LYON 2-3 NICE (R38, season 2020/2021

After dropping out of the race for Europe on the eve of Round 38, OGC Nice had nothing to play for when they travelled to Groupama Stadium on 23 May 2021. However, this situation would not stop Les Aiglons from giving their all against Lyon, who were vying for a place in the Champions League. The evening got off to a poor start, however, with Adrian Ursea's men going into the break trailing 2-1 despite Kasper Dolberg's sixth goal of the season. A brace from Karl Toko Ekambi had proven enough to give Les Gones the lead.

 

Refusing to submit to their fate, Le Gym staged a magnificent comeback for their fans in the second half. Buoyed by Hassane Kamara's thunderous 30-yard drive, Jean-Clair Todibo & co. pushed forward to end the season with a prestigious win. It was William Saliba who got on the end of Amine Gouiri's free-kick and left Anthony Lopes with no chance of saving his powerful header. With a 3-2 victory on the stroke of the final whistle, Les Aiglons finished the season in ninth place and deprived their opponents of a place in the UEFA Champions League.

A SUCCESSFUL FINISH

NICE 3-1 LYON (R38, season 2022/2023)

Last season, it was in the same position in the standings that Le Gym went into their final match of the year on 3 June 2023, again against Olympique Lyonnais. In an Allianz Riviera full to bursting for the final game of the season, and with a prestigious guest in Hugo Lloris on hand to receive his former Aiglon trophy, Les Azuréens were desperate to end their 2022/2023 campaign on a high. And Didier Digard's men were soon in a position to do just that as, following some good pressing from Terem Moffi, Jérôme Boateng beat his own goalkeeper to give Nice the lead (1-0, 5'). 

Les Rouge et Noir, full of drive and buoyed by that winning feeling, did not slow down. They doubled their lead through Gaëtan Laborde, who opportunistically headed in Sofiane Diop's shot after Anthony Lopes had parried (2-0, 28') and then took the lead a few moments later thanks to Terem Moffi's 18th goal of the season (3-0, 33'). Jeffinho's goal just before half-time did nothing to reduce the deficit: Les Aiglons won 3-1 to end their season in ninth place.

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Hugo Rondet