Nîmes Olympique, 17 matches to survive

Jonathan Mexico and Nîmes remain on a draw and three losses to the Antonins. Last success: Niort, October 6 (1-0). Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

National/18th day. After a terrible end to the first leg, Nîmes begins the second part of the championship, against Rouen (Friday January 26 at Antonins, 7:30 p.m.), 5 points behind the holding zone.

In more than 80 years of history, Nîmes Olympique has played 36 seasons in Ligue 1, 35 in Ligue 2 and 10, with the current one, in National. But never in National 2.

On this Friday, January 26, 2024, the Gard club has never been so close to the fourth level of French football, and the loss of professional status that goes with it. It also seems that managers have started to inquire about the regulations of the N2 championship…

Six defeats in a row in the championship, current series, and six descents at the end

After a catastrophic end to the first leg, concluded with six defeats in a row, a terrible series in progress, the Crocodiles are five points behind the first non-relegation team, Orléans (12th). As a reminder, there will be six descents at the end of the 2023-2024 financial year, due to the restructuring of the divisions. How to get by without a president, without dynamics, without an attack (penultimate in National, 15 goals scored), without defensive solidity (14th out of 18, 26 conceded) and without an audience ?

Frédéric Bompard: "The year started off badly, but we showed a different face"

In the storm and in the tough, coach Frédéric Bompard tries to put up a front: "The year started off badly for us (with two defeats, 2-1 in Cup in Orléans and 1-0 in Sochaux), but I think that we showed a different face compared to December. We're on the right track.

Which is not false: this season, the Nîmes have rarely entered the opposing area as much as during these two performances. Even during their string of nine matches without defeat, between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.

The 4-0 won at Istres (leader in N3) last Friday was also encouraging, even if it was only a friendly and it was not a friendly game. did not "bring back any points. And Rouen is much stronger than Istres, recalls Bompard.

After several years of being considered amateurs, the club can really become one

From now on, there is no more time, or matches, to lose. There are 17 days to survive. "We absolutely must reverse the negative spiral (of results). I told the players that we must not fall into an inertia that would drag us to the bottom. We need to get out of the relegation zone quickly. Otherwise, after several years of passing for amateurs, the club will really become one.

The group, the recruits, the supporters… behind the scenes of the Crocos

The 16 for Rouen (only one goalkeeper): Paradowski (l.), Sbaï, Diouf, F. Mendy (cap), Paviot, Diallo, Burner, Picouleau, Mexico, Delpech, Sacko, Wade, Doucouré, Laurens, Mbemba, Mbina. The young goalkeeper Clément Masse will do the warm-up.

The absent: Dias (l., knee), Ondoa (l., CAN with Cameroon), Nazih (l., instance starters), Doukansy, Labonne, Thoumin (injured), Guessoum, Sy, Ngakoutou (coach's choice), I. Camara (new recruit, suspended) .

The opponent: FC Rouen, one of the heroes of the Coupe de France (beater of Toulouse and future opponent of Monaco in the round of 16), will appear decimated, deprived ; of around ten players…

The transfer window: Ismaël Camara (Épinal) is Nîmois but is suspended. À the essay, Abdoulaye Sané (without a club) convinced the staff. Before signing it, sports director Sébastien Larcier is awaiting further responses.

The supporters: His stadium ban ended, Cyril Roure will return to the Antonins and the Nemausus, the supporters club he chairs, with. The association calls à gather à 6:30 p.m. in the nearby Electro Dépôt parking lot, and at encourage the Crocs. Even deprived of entertainment equipment, as the internal regulations of the enclosure prohibit…

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