29 years on, could Nice relive 1997 as Lens final meets survival fight? | OneFootball

Nice face Lens in the Coupe de France final on Friday at 21:00 while fighting to save their Ligue 1 place, a scenario that recalls 1997 when they won the cup then went down. Any parallel is still tentative, with survival possible via a play-off.

According to L'Équipe, Nice meet Saint-Étienne in that play-off, first leg on 26 May and return on 29 May. In 1997, Silvester Takac’s team beat Guingamp after a 1-1 draw and a 4-3 shootout on 10 May.

That campaign was chaotic. Albert Emon was replaced by Daniel Sanchez after four games, then Takac took over in early December, and Milan Mandaric succeeded André Boïs as president. The league brought only five wins in 38 matches and by the final they were 14 without a win and stuck bottom.

The cup charge began at Bastia, then 3rd in D1, 2-2 and 4-3 on penalties, before Gueugnon were beaten 2-0 despite Youssef Salimi’s red card, Clermont Foot were edged 2-1, and Laval fell 1-0 in the semis. In the final, Salimi scored on 21 minutes, Nicolas Laspalles equalised on 77, Bruno Valencony saved two penalties, Louis Gomis was the only Nice player to miss, and Arjan Vermeulen struck the decider.

Then there was less rancour and more local players, whereas today only Antoine Mendy and Kaïl Boudache are academy graduates. Friday brings Lens, runners-up to PSG and clear favourites, unlike 12th-placed Guingamp in 1997, and Takac urges the current side to harness the anger and fight.

Source: L'Équipe