Ex-Chelsea star placed on leave after alleged assault by own fans in 'unbelievable and scary' incident at club training ground

Nice were gifted the lead against Lorient on Sunday, as Arthur Avom put through his own net, but a dramatic collapse was endured from there. Franck Haise’s side found themselves 2-1 down at the interval, and conceded a third early in the second half.

Those watching on from afar were less than impressed by what they saw. According to ESPN, some 400 Ultras headed down to Nice’s training ground and waited for the first-team squad to return. The atmosphere is said to have been “very tense” before players arrived.

ESPN reports that “two supporters got on the team bus to express their anger before the violence erupted when the players stepped off”. Moffi and Boga were among those caught up in events which escalated quickly.

They are said to have been “punched, spat at, kicked and insulted by the Ultras”. Eye witnesses reported as much to ESPN after Nice’s coach returned to familiar surroundings after a journey from the nearby airport.

Sources have told ESPN how Moffi has been put on “sick leave” for a week, and Boga for five days. The duo are said to have attended a local police station on Monday, at which they sought to press charges against the alleged assailants. Police forces are yet to comment on the matter.

Nice have, however, released a statement. Addressing the unfortunate scenes that played out when the team returned from a disappointing trip out on the road, the Ligue 1 outfit said: “On Sunday, on their return from Lorient, the Eaglets were welcomed at the training ground by an important gathering.

“The club understands the frustration created by the succession of poor displays and performances far from its values. However, the excesses we saw during this gathering are unacceptable. A few members of the club have been attacked. OGC Nice give them its full support and condemn these acts with the highest toughness.”

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Tempers have boiled over at Nice following a run of six straight defeats in all competitions. They have come unstuck against Paris Saint-Germain, Metz, Marseille and Lorient in Ligue 1, while also dropping points in Europa League clashes with Freiburg and Porto.

Moffi and Boga are said to have been targeted as they stand accused of “having a poor attitude in recent weeks”. Sources told ESPN how the former was “punched, kicked, had his hair pulled and needed the help of his goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf to get out of the crowd and safely inside the club's building” during the aforementioned bus attack.

Sporting director Florian Maurice required protection from security forces as he made his way back to his car and headed away from the scene. Somewhat surprisingly, manager Haise was cheered by the crowd as some Ultras told him that he retains their full support - despite the recent sequence of results. Club captain Melvin Bard and local midfielder Sofiane Diop were also spared abuse from angry fans.

After seeing Moffi and Boga attacked, the rest of Nice’s squad were able to make their way safely into the club’s training centre. Many were, however, left “shocked and traumatised, blaming the lack of security and safety” on team officials. One player told ESPN: “How can they not protect us more? It was unbelievable and scary.”

Nice’s struggles for form have seen them slip to 10th in the Ligue 1 table. They will be hoping to enjoy a return to winning ways on Sunday when playing host to Angers - who sit two places and one point below them in the standings.

It remains to be seen when Moffi and Ivory Coast international Boga - who is a product of Chelsea’s academy system - will grace the field again as inevitable questions are asked of their respective futures.