Midweek News Roundup

By: Martha | August 21st, 2008

Cohen considers implementing a strict dress code, if this is how the injured are going to turn up for work.

•In addition to Cyril #1, who will definitely miss the Auxerre trip through injury, Nice will also be without Eric Mouloungui, who is on leave for a week after the death of his sister. Jesus. Also, Ben Saada ankle and Hognon’s leg — he slightly tore his adductor against Nancy — are questions; one assumes they’ll both face late fitness tests before this weekend’s trip.

•Frustratingly, Matt Moussilou seems to have no interest whatsoever in leaving Nice. Instead, he’ll be sitting around this season, taking up space and earning money that it would really be handy to be able to spend elsewhere. Joseph Desire-Job, also, is still around, and despite his desire to leave and periodic stories about interest in him (the most recent from Blackpool), he too looks set to spend the first half wasting away on the bench.

•The stories about Kanté leaving for greener pastures continue; PSG are supposedly still tracking him.

•I can’t find information about minutes for the Africans anywhere, but in this week’s friendlies involving Nice players: Mail (Kanté, Traore, Diakite) lost to Gabon (Mouloungui) 0-1, Ivory Coast (Faé) beat Guinea 2-1, Colombia (Ospina, who didn’t play) lost to Ecuador 0-1, and the Bleuets (Rémy, who play the first 45 minutes) drew 2-2 with Slovakia.

•Random fact about Antonetti: He prefers to watch matches on video to attending in person, so he didn’t bother to go to Auxerre’s match last Sunday. And, like any coach worth his salt, he’s obsessive, watching up to six matches a day in preparation for each weekend’s encounters. Screw sleep!

•And, finally, there are a few new videos up on the all-Flash-and-thus-impossible-to-link ogcnice.tv, including the doc of the Nancy match and a short training video from this week, in which you’ll notice Chouf pouring water on the ground before taking the first sip from his bottle. Something for his dead homies, no doubt.