Don’t stigmatise us — Mayor of Nice defends OGC fans who attacked Super Eagles star Moffi

The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has moved to calm tensions after a chaotic night outside OGC Nice’s training ground, where hundreds of angry supporters confronted players and staff following a 3-1 loss to FC Lorient.

With the club now on a six-game losing streak and criticism mounting from several fronts, the incident has quickly spiralled into a national talking point.

Reports from L’Équipe, RMC Sport, Foot Mercato, and Ici Azur painted a troubling picture: nearly 400 frustrated fans stormed the training complex on Sunday night, with some allegedly hitting, kicking, or spitting at players.

Terem Moffi, Jérémie Boga, and sporting director Florian Maurice were reportedly singled out in the chaotic scenes. Nice quickly issued a firm statement condemning what they described as “unacceptable behaviour,” while the LFP, UNFP, and public prosecutor all opened formal investigations.

However, Mayor Estrosi has publicly attempted to soften the narrative, pointing to the prefecture’s own assessment of the situation. “No physical violence was noted [by the prefecture] during the exchanges with OGC Nice. And that’s good because any violence would be unacceptable,” he said on X.

He added, “It is therefore important not to add fuel to the fire or to fuel a controversy that far exceeds the reality of the facts. Neither Nice nor our supporters deserve to be collectively stigmatised.

“I want to call for calm, for responsibility from everyone, and for respect of the identity of our club […] I trust the management and the relevant authorities to re-establish dialogue and to allow our club to move forward.”

While officials debate the severity of the incident, the impact on the dressing room is already becoming visible.

Terem Moffi, a key figure for both OGC Nice and Nigeria’s Super Eagles, is now considering leaving the club entirely after being caught in the ambush. Boga is also weighing his future, and even head coach Franck Haise is drifting toward the exit as tensions continue to rise.

The fallout has left Nice in a fragile state, with unrest stretching from the stands to the pitch andevven behind the scenes.

Whether the mayor’s intervention can stabilise the situation, or whether the incident becomes a breaking point for several major figures, remains to be seen.