"A very good position": Franck Haise recounts his first season at OGC Nice and sets the course for the next one

"I'm here to tell you that I'm going to Rennes." Franck Haise was in a particularly teasing mood this Sunday morning at the training center when he met Nice-Matin and L'Equipe to take stock of this season, which ended a few hours earlier in a superb fourth place, and to look forward with ambition to the next one, at the Gym of course, despite the financial constraints.

Jokes aside, did Stade Rennais try to approach you this season?

It's irrelevant. Whether I tell you today that an English club has approached me, a Saudi Arabian club has returned, or an approach from a French club, the most important thing is what I said two months ago, namely that I was staying in Nice. You don't know me very well, but when I say something, it's not because Saudi Arabia offers me 4 million net that I'm going to leave.

Because the word is stronger than anything?

For me, yes. I'm not saying that money doesn't matter in a career or that being in a club that might be even more prestigious doesn't matter. But for me, once I made that decision and gave my word, I'm not going back on it. Unless one day, people here turn me around. But since that's not the case and I get along well with my management, I keep my word.

What motivated the timing of your announcement?

There were departures. Laurent Bessière's departure had come out (in the press). Some people said to themselves: "The next one will be the coach." The message was primarily for my management. Because they were also obviously wondering. It was to say: "We'll continue to work together no matter what happens." At that point, we could have finished eighth too. And then afterwards, it was also to clarify things with my staff and the players.

To perhaps encourage some to stay?

I don't really believe in that. I know how it is. Everyone has to lead their career and decide in their own conscience. What mattered was the aftermath, asking ourselves: "What kind of staff do we want? How do we rebuild it? What energy do we want to put in? Who do we want to work with? I don't hold back people.

You didn't take the blow?

The truth is, Laurent had already done it to me during the season (at Lens in 2023, when he left for Nice). This time, it was worse (laughs). This time, it's at the end of the season. When staff members are in demand, it means they have quality. I left Lens. I can't criticize. During the season, it's a little harder to swallow. Other profiles will arrive (the name of Benoît Delaval is regularly mentioned). For Alex Pasquini, it's a little different. We've been together for a while. But the difference with Alex is that he always told me, and again this summer, that his goal was to return to recruitment one day. It's not as if he was leaving to be a video analyst at Rennes.

Wouldn't it have been possible to make room for him here and keep him with you? Given the salary conditions he'll be receiving there, it was impossible.

"We will have to sell before buying."

Are you worried about these financial constraints?

I can't say it doesn't worry me because I would prefer us to have more resources to be ambitious, always in the Championship and also in Europe, whatever European Cup we do. But I know the constraints. I'm not discovering them. When I arrived last year, I already knew that it was no longer the same project that was proposed to me the first time they tried to bring me here. I can see how it's going, not just for us.

You knew there were fewer resources, but perhaps not to such an extent. Did you?

No, because in the meantime there were TV rights. I would have preferred that the 15 million less be put into transfers, or investments, or for the club. The sails are reduced everywhere, but it's obligatory. This year, we might go from 15 to 0 or 3, 4, 5 million. Luckily Ineos is still there because even if, inevitably, there's Manchester and we might not be the headline act of the group, we can count on them.

Concretely, do you expect many departures this summer?

We'll see. Afterwards, we know we have to sell, but like last summer, actually, before we can buy.

Can this fourth place condition certain personal futures?

Even though it's a very good place, considering the clubs we're leaving behind, it's not third either. The Champions League live is necessarily different. Today, we're sure to play in the Europa League and we've given ourselves the opportunity to have two matches, then maybe four, then maybe eight more (in the Champions League). But our reality today is the Europa League. Financially, that's not what's going to make you stand out, nor allow you to keep certain players.

Do you expect, for example, to lose Marcin (Bulka)?

He only has one year left on his contract, and he hasn't extended it. That would be logical. Now, everyone has to get their act together. For all the players who have a year left on their contract, if there are opportunities, everyone will look at them.

Some have a high market value.

There are players who have many years of contract. Others with very high market value, like Evann (Guessand), who also trained at the club. There are times when it has to happen. So Evann, we suspect. But it won't be on any terms either.

What needs have you identified in the transfer window?

We have two right-footed central defenders (Ndayishimiye and Abdelmonem) who will be out for six to eight months, so that's an area we'll have to look for. After that, we have to be ready in all positions. That's how we work.

Will you exercise the option to purchase Santamaria?

We already have 34 players under contract, including a fair number of midfielders. We're not in a situation where we have any obligations at this point. We're not going to end up with nine midfielders.

Are you counting on Ndombele for next season?

I don't know. He's been out of the field for months, or intermittently. So, like Saint Thomas, I only believe what I see.

We feel you are resigned.

No, but if I were sure he could be 100% operational for a season, obviously with his quality as a player, I wouldn't ask any questions. But well, that wasn't the case.

Is a contract termination being considered?

This isn't my area of ​​expertise. I interviewed Tanguy three weeks or a month ago. I told him that the important thing for him is to find solutions so he can train intensively every day. He hasn't played for six months. And the previous three months, he had to manage his situation. He needs to be able to maintain the rhythm of a professional player, with matches every three days. We're a long way from that today. Will things be better in three or four weeks? I'm not sure.

You were talking about thirty players under contract. Is that what we'll need next season as well?

It's too many. In a season like ours, with a lot of injuries and several competitions, 20 or 21 outfield players have had playing time. I think we need a squad of 19 players, plus 2-3 good youngsters.

"Show a better face in the European Cup"

Was managing the many attacking players difficult?

No. I watch what the players do in training, in matches, and then it's up to me to decide. There were a few times when it didn't come down to much between two players, but most of the time, there wasn't much discussion.

Because some had clearly given up?

No, not dropped, but you have to perform at all times. Even Evann was on the bench. I can't just make my choices based on the fact that at one point, he was the best player of the season, the most impactful striker. I felt he was less good. Then, he came back, there was a revival against Rennes, and we found him again.

Did he understand?

Usually, players understand it at first, but after three or four games on the bench, they don't understand anymore (smiles). It's not a big deal, coaches deal with it all the time.

There are also sometimes leaders who interfere.

I have a chance, and that's part of the reason why I'm staying, is that I can work and make my choices freely. If one day, I have managers who want to build the team for me, I'll leave (smile).

Is there also a group that made you want to stay?

It's a whole. It's first and foremost the people at the club. Even if I tell myself that it's never easy because we're not Paris, we don't have the means of Marseille or Monaco, that doesn't mean there's no ambition. It's not just a question of means. Otherwise, at Lens, we would never have done what we did. This year, we wouldn't have finished 4th either. And there's a group with whom I want to continue working. I hope we'll also have some good recruits, because you always need emulation. Now, it's going to take a little time. It's going to be a big job for Flo (Maurice) and the teams.

When we see this group finish one point off the podium, we say to ourselves that it's frustrating?

The match against Brest is a good summary. We're capable of doing things that are out of the ordinary, let's say. Then we were able to disappoint at certain moments. The squad never gave up or chose its matches. But it lacked the maturity to do better, that's for sure.

Also demanding?

We had to regularly get behind certain players. We had to push a little harder. But this was a group that had potential and showed it.

Who also showed great resilience.

Before the Strasbourg match (2-2), given the run we had just had and the exceptional wave they were riding, not many people believed in us for the top 4. Youssouf's goal in the 93rd minute, that's an example of resilience. It did us a lot of good. Unlike them, who already saw themselves there. There was singing, there was dancing on the bench in added time...

You said this season was challenging. What made it so difficult?

The cascade of injuries, of course. 13 players down in the European Cup, plus two players who weren't qualified. There are some players who should never have played. Never. Afterwards, there were expectations from the away side, especially from the crowd. I can understand that there were disappointments. But we tried to do our best. And I would have liked it if there had been only atmospheres like against Brest. The South has always been there. Even if sometimes there was misunderstanding. A crowd counts. And that changes a lot of things. Yet every time I meet people, they talk to me about Nice. They love the club.

Is this a public that reflects this locker room after all? You have to push it a little.

Exactly. It's true that we're similar (laughs). (He continues) And then the third element is the departures in the staff. Even if everyone got back on track and pulled in the same direction, it inevitably created a bit of tension. But it also opened up opportunities to have other profiles, to start a global reflection.

The European route, you said to yourself: "Is it shameful?"

Finishing 35th, not having won one match out of eight. I can't tell you that it's a pleasant experience... If we had won that Real Sociedad match, I'm sure the dynamic would have been different. We might not have qualified, but we would have experienced things differently. In any case, we'll have the opportunity to show a better side. There were injuries, and I made the choice to rotate because we had to protect ourselves. Sometimes I thought it would go through on Thursday, and that wasn't the case. But I sincerely think it was the right choice. We were too short to have it both ways at that point.