In the pre-match press conference, Lucien Favre and Dante lauded the qualities of Mika Seri.

One of the stars of Nice's season with ten assists and six goals, the Côte d'Ivoire international has not been nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. Despite the quality of the nominees - Cavani, Verratti, Lacazette and Bernardo Silva – the absence of the Nice playmaker raised a few eyebrows and suggests his performances are not always appreciated at their true value.

So, is Mika Seri underrated? "That depends by who!" answered Lucien Favre, who has made the midfielder one of the first names on his team-sheet (35 starts, in all competitions). "He is having an excellent season, despite playing in the Africa Cup of Nations in January, which is never easy."

"He can play everywhere"

"He can play nearly every position," continued the Nice coach, before quantifying the qualities of the former Paços de Ferreira player: "He feels the game and how to hurt the opposition. He's a midfielder that can do it all; he can defend just as well as he can attack. He is capable of breaking the lines, and also scoring, which is very important for a central midfielder.  He also takes set pieces."

A complete player? "Yes, he is really very good, but he also has plenty of room for improvement. He's only 25 years old and will only get better by improving a few little details," concluded the Swiss technician, before making way for Dante.

The Brazilian defender echoed the comments of Lucien Favre: "This kid impresses me each and every day. He knows what he wants, what he has to do and he's not afraid to take his responsibilities. On the pitch, he's a real leader. I have played for a lot of clubs with quality players, but Mika is as good as any of them."

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