Nice face possible behind closed doors play-off and fraught Cup final amid fan fury | OneFootball

Nice could have to play the Saint-Étienne play-off return behind closed doors, and face Lens in Friday’s Coupe de France final amid open fan hostility. According to L'Équipe, several players privately prefer an empty Allianz Riviera in such a climate.

The pitch was invaded after Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Metz, with objects and pyrotechnics thrown from the playing surface.

The LFP disciplinary commission meets urgently on Wednesday, with a one-match closure the likeliest sanction. Nice will argue the game was well prepared and no injuries were reported.

If they beat Lens, they would match their 1960s forebears by securing a third straight European qualification. Yet a two-legged play-off with Saint-Étienne on 26 and 29 May looms, and Nice have not won a home league match for nearly seven months.

Relations with ultras have been strained since a stormy return from Lorient on 30 November, followed by a month-long boycott in December. Home crowds have mocked their own players, including relegation chants, sarcastic olé passing and ironic acclaim for Kevin Carlos, still goalless in the league.

Plans for the final are unsettled. Pentecost travel costs and the current toxicity have led some to consider staying away or reselling tickets, and internal talks have even touched on a boycott. Boardroom relations between Jean-Pierre Rivère, Maurice Cohen and Ineos representative Jean-Claude Blanc are also strained. With Lens likely to be well backed, there is fear of a heavy defeat, and Claude Puel could rotate before the play-off.

Source: L'Équipe