Nice

The club’s history can be traced back to 1904 when they were founded under the name Gymnaste Club. The club originally focused on gymnastics and athletics, rather than football, and in 1908 the club founded an amateur football team. In 1919 they merged with a local club adopted the club’s black and red color scheme. In 1924 the club adopted its current Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice and also developed local rivalries with Marseille and Cannes while playing in a regional league.

In 1930, French football officially became professional and Nice was one of the founding members of the league, finishing 7th in the first season. They were relegated the following year and remained in division 2 until 1949 when they were promoted back to division 1. The club won their first major title in 1951 when they won the league. They continued the success by winning a domestic double the following year, getting their first Coupe de France title. They won their second Coupe de France in 1954, and won a third league title shortly after. Nice finished the 50s with 4 league titles and 2 domestic cup trophies. They had also made their European debut in 1956, losing to giants Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the European Cup.

Following their “golden years”, Nice struggled to maintain their success, with their best finish being 2nd place in 1976. Nice was also relegated in 1982 and would bounce between the first and second division during the 80s and 90s. By 1997, they had climbed back to division one, and shocked the country by winning the Coupe de France on penalties, despite being major underdogs. Despite this great victory, they were relegated from the league and ended up back in division 2, where they stayed for 5 years before getting back up.

Nice has remained in division 1 since 2001, but has yet to win any major titles since then.

2023-24 SEASON: 5th in Ligue 1 (Qualified for Europa Conference League), Coupe de France quarterfinal

2024-25 SEASON: Ligue 1, UEFA Conference League

Nice shares the Derby de la Côte d’Azur, with local rivals AS Monaco. The name of the derby comes from the Côte d’Azur, the coast where both clubs are located in France. The two clubs are only 20 kilometers apart, which led to the origins of this rivalry. The two clubs first met in 1953, and have played a total of 127 times, with Monaco holding the edge with 57 victories.

The women’s team shares the same name as the men and were founded in 2005. They play in the second division of French women’s football and have yet to win a major trophy.

From 1927 to 2013, the club played their home games at the Stade du Ray. But the club moved to their current home Allianz Riviera in 2013 to have a renovated stadium, as well as an increased capacity. The current capacity is over 36,000 and has hosted the Euros, the women’s World Cup, Rugby World Cup, and the Olympics.

GETTING THERE: It’s way out in the suburbs, so check the options listed on the club’s website for how to get there.

PUBS and GRUB: Take care of this in the city center, as it’s all very suburban by the stadium.

AROUND TOWN: We’ll just defer to our friend Rick Steves, who offer this travel guide and a video about the French Riviera.