Nice’s derby match with Marseille on Wednesday promises to be an extra-special encounter for it will mark the dawn of a new era at the Allianz Riviera – and perhaps Ligue 1.
English billionaire Jim Ratcliffe – the richest man in the UK, with a fortune of €10.6 billion (£9.9bn/$12.1bn), according to Forbes – has led the takeover by Ineos, a multinational petrochemical company, which is poised to transform the club’s fortunes. Although no figure has put on the deal, it is widely reported to have exceeded €100m (£90m/$110m).
Shrewd transfer business has allowed Nice to firmly establish themselves as a top-10 side in Ligue 1 over the last four years, but they have been unable to keep hold of their top stars, such as Mario Balotelli and Hatem Ben Arfa, both of whom they could only afford to sign on short-term deals, and both of whom ultimately left on free transfers.
It was a situation that frustrated fans, who protested against the previous board’s unwillingness to invest in the team last January, when not a single player was bought, despite an obvious need for a centre-forward after Balotelli, who had already grown disgruntled with life at the club, was allowed to join Marseille.
That Patrick Vieira led the side to a seventh-placed finish in Ligue 1 was miraculous.
Now, however, the former Arsenal and France midfielder is set to get some attacking toys to play with, with only the uber-rich Paris Saint-Germain able to significantly outmuscle the Mediterranean side financially. Ratcliffe’s fortune is worth twice that of Monaco owner Dimitri Rybolovlev and more than 10 times that of Marseille owner Frank McCourt.
The Brexit-campaigning 66-year-old, who has stakes in both cycling and sailing teams, seems an unlikely candidate to invest in the world of French football, yet after failed attempts to buy Manchester United, the club he supports, and Chelsea, there is a belief that Ligue 1 offers a strong investment opportunity.
“We want to help improve the image of French football and the league,” Bob Ratcliffe, his brother, told a media briefing as the deal was made official.
“Ligue 1 is undervalued compared to the Premier League, for example. There are big clubs in France, so it’s a difficult challenge. The more big clubs in Ligue 1 there are, the better it will be. There must be four French sides in the Champions League.”
For the time being, that will have to wait. Instead, there is a focus on the mad dash to complete a summer’s worth of transfer business in the five days before the window shuts on September 2.
Due to the impending takeover, Vieira’s side only signed Khephren Thuram, the 18-year-old son of former France international Lilian, before the club changed hands. In the meantime, they lost a key attacking component in the form of Allan Saint-Maximin, to Newcastle.
The impasse, though, is over and six players are expected to arrive over the coming days, among them forward Kasper Dolberg from Ajax, Napoli’s Adam Ounas and winger Alexis-Claude Maurice, who caught the eye of Arsenal, Lyon and others, from Ligue 2 side Lorient.
Perhaps the most symbolic deal, however, could be the one to draw Stanley Nsoki from PSG. Marseille have been tracking the 20-year-old defender for months but are set to be put in their place in French football’s evolving hierarchy by their nouveau-riche neighbours, who are now favourites to complete a deal.
But while there is clearly an appetite for success, the new owners are acutely aware that it will be tough to achieve overnight, particularly given the timing of their purchase.
“The transfer window has been difficult, but we hope to use it in the last few days,” Bob Ratcliffe said.
“Our ambition is to be in the Champions League in three to five years. We want to compete with PSG, Lyon and the other big clubs in France.
"We want to compete to finish in the top four in Ligue 1 and become one of Europe’s best training centres, like Ajax, for example, so we want to work on the infrastructure and the training grounds.”
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At a time when many of France’s traditional big guns are ailing, Ineos claim to have learned lessons from their struggles and will not adopt a gung-ho youth policy, the type of which has sent Monaco into a tailspin that sees them reside at the bottom of the table.
“I don't think that we will be a club that will buy players aged 27 or 28. We will focus in particular on talented young players, but we are aware that a team needs experience to progress.
"If we want to make this project a success, it's very important to invest in young players,” Ratcliffe added, no doubt with a nod to OM, whose big takeover from American businessman Frank McCourt appears headed down a dead end of trouble.
With Bordeaux struggling in the wake of a high-profile takeover from across the Atlantic and Monaco failing to get things right just along the coast, there are plenty of warning signs for Nice fans who might already be dreaming of the club reprising famous European wins over Real Madrid, Barcelona and Ajax.
Ineos, it is also worth remembering, own Swiss second-tier side Lausanne, whose fortunes have not taken off under their ownership as had been anticipated.
“We are fast learners, these problems have been rectified and we are already seeing the benefits,” Jim said on Monday.
With plenty examples of how not to do it in France evident at the present time, if Ineos, Vieira and the players get things right, this could be a deal to revolutionise the hierarchy of Ligue 1.
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