Nice’s search for a sporting director drags on amid possible sale | OneFootball

Nice’s hunt for a new sporting director is stalling amid a relegation fight and uncertainty over a potential sale.

A 1-2 loss at Auxerre means survival will be settled against Metz on Sunday, or via a play-off with a Ligue 2 side. That uncertainty is hampering plans for an intense summer window, according to L’Équipe.

Grégory Lorenzi is heading to OM, leaving vice-chairman Maurice Cohen to find Florian Maurice’s successor. Maurice is still negotiating his exit.

The new hire’s priority would be to move players out to rebuild the squad. Some wages exceed Nice’s means, others have failed sportingly, and some tick both boxes.

With Jean-Pierre Rivère set to depart after a short-lived presidency, Cohen is testing options. Geoffrey Moncada, 39, has been floated, but he is content at AC Milan and has an extension offer.

Cohen prefers club-rooted profiles, a tag that fits Roger Ricort, sporting director in the 2000s and credited with signing David Ospina in 2008. He remains close, though a return is not planned and would only happen in collaboration with Cohen.

Ownership adds to the uncertainty. INEOS, owner since August 2019, has pursued a sale for months, with talks under way with an American investment fund, Nice-Matin reports. Discussions are partly led by Jean-Claude Blanc, with Rivère and Cohen not briefed.

The outcome hinges on finances and the transition, with price shaped by Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 status and Europa League. The deal could be a clean buyout this summer or a phased capital entry. For now, Cohen acts as if no sale is happening, under INEOS instruction.

Source: L'Équipe