Youcef Atal and the Niçois will start the season behind closed doors. - VIRGINIE LEFOUR / Belga / AFP

The match of the 1st day of Ligue 1 Nice-Lens scheduled for Sunday 23 August will be played behind closed doors, the president of the OGC Nice football club Jean-Pierre Rivère announced on Wednesday after a press conference. . "In view of the health situation in our region (...) and the acceleration of the Covid-19, we have decided to play against Lens behind closed doors," said Jean-Pierre Rivère. "It may be an excess of wisdom, but the club wants to be responsible", he insisted.

#OGCNRCL: The first information on the in camera.

👉 https://t.co/08zHiD75dO pic.twitter.com/WNmHRI800U

- OGC Nice (@ogcnice) August 12, 2020

"We hope that this decision will not dampen the enthusiasm of our supporters"

The club explained on its website that this "position obviously does not prejudge what will happen next" for the rest of the championship. Nice will adapt to health developments with the hope that on September 20, the date of the arrival of PSG for the next day of L1 scheduled in the capital of the Riviera, the pandemic will be "in a descending phase".

"We will measure the evolution of the situation by then and we will take a decision in September, depending on", said Mr. Rivère. “We hope that this wise decision will not dampen the enthusiasm of our supporters, our subscribers. But on the contrary, it will show them that we are taking care of them, ”he argued.

I want to salute President Rivère's responsible decision to play the #OGCNRCL match without an audience. A difficult decision, but the #GYM is a family that does not distinguish between its members and wants above all to protect them. And that is to his credit. @ogcnice 🔴⚫️ https://t.co/OOYnUZNNL8

- Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) August 12, 2020

A decision hailed by Christian Estrosi

“I want to salute President Rivère's responsible decision to play the match without an audience. A difficult decision, ”reacted the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi on Twitter. Faced with the threat of a return to closed doors in the stadiums in the event of non-compliance with health instructions, the National Association of supporters called on Tuesday to continue discussions "in depth" on the issue, deeming "hasty" to 'have reopened the enclosures in mid-July.

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