With just one win in their last nine Ligue 1 games, Terem Moffi and his Nice teammates have gone from being one of the favourites for a UEFA Champions League spot to outsiders.
Following their goalless draw against Reims on Sunday, Nice remain fifth in the table and eight points behind Monaco, who occupy the last UCL spot with six games remaining.
Goalkeeper Marcin Bulka alluded to a crisis in the Nice dressing room when he passed through the mixed zone after last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to FC Nantes at the Allianz Riviera.
“I don’t understand some attitudes in the team, we’ll speak about it in the dressing room, not in front of the camera,” he said.
“I don’t know if it is collective; I’d say it’s about individuals. Everyone needs to look themselves in the eyes and ask themselves if they are showing desire. Today, for me, some of them showed that they didn’t have that desire,” added the Polish international.
In the wake of those comments, there was a hint of criticism from Captain Dante and manager Francesco Farioli targeted at Bulka, but the call for unity was stronger.
“He is a player that really plays with emotion and energy. If he saw something that wasn’t right, maybe we all had to see it. We all understood. We are all closer than ever. Maybe he shouldn’t have done it publicly, but he is frank. We haven’t taken it badly,” said Dante on Friday before their match against Reims.
“Emotions were running high. The only thing that I can reproach was the time and the place,” added Farioli.
On Saturday, French player Jean-Clair Todibo also shared the unifying opinion in his post-match interview with Prime Video Sport.
“A group needs to stay united. Marcin and I spoke about it. It’s been sorted. He is a competitor, like everyone else. He was overcome with emotion. He made an ‘error’, if you can call it that, but we don’t hold it against him and we are all in this together,” said the France international.
Nice will hope to rediscover their form in their next game against Lorient on April 19.
