"We switched": the words of OGC Nice coach Franck Haise before the resumption of Ligue 1 against Toulouse

It's something else. The championship is starting. We'll be in it for a few weeks before diving back into the Europa League at the end of September. I've switched and gone into Ligue 1 mode. It will be our daily routine to switch from one competition to another. We're in for a long run, let's say. Does this elimination leave me with any regrets? The regret is not having all the strength we have at the club to play this type of match. But from the moment we don't have it, there are no regrets, we didn't just miss out. The gap was significant, it was visible. When you're beaten by a much stronger team in a double-header, there are no regrets about elimination.

The forces present

We have Hicham (Boudaoui, recovered from a virus) and Salis (Abdul Samed), who is eligible. I hope we will continue to recover other players in the coming weeks. Dante has not trained.

Rookie Salis Abdul Samed

He did all the prep. With the Lens first team, at first, and then with the reserve team. He told me he felt good. I had guarantees. I know he worked well. He played part of a match with the reserve team. Physically, he's good. He's a profile we don't have at all. He's a tactical leader. He's someone who picks up quickly. I still had him on a daily basis for two years. When he was very, very good, when it was a little more difficult in the second season, he was always a tactical leader. We need someone in the middle who communicates, who reads situations in advance, who talks to those around him. We have good players, but we don't have that profile. He's a real competitor, who doesn't give up. And at the same time, in the locker room, he's someone who's quite bright, quite sunny, quite joyful. And it's good to have players like that. I also talked this summer, since I went with Régis (Le Bris) who is a friend and who had him at Sunderland. It's a shame he had a big injury when he arrived there. He told me he had always been top. I'm not going to say it's an advantage that he hasn't played. But he wants to be on the pitch, he's out for revenge.

Mahdi Camara diverted by Rennes

We had an agreement from the player. We had an agreement from Brest. But as long as the contract isn't signed, in football, a lot of things can always happen. Afterwards, I can't stop a club that was interested in this player, who is a very good player, from going all the way. Because if we had the opportunity to do it, we wouldn't hold back either. We have to tell it like it is. Afterwards, the player and his entourage who give an agreement and then go back on it 3 hours later, that's another problem. It's a problem of value.

Hicham Boudaoui

He won't leave. It's the club that decides who stays and who leaves. There may be some desire, but there's a need to keep a team that's strong, to strengthen it to have a team that can compete in the top 7. It's not by losing Hicham (Boudaoui) and the others that we'll get there.

The opponent Toulouse

They had difficulties, as you say, in certain matches during their preparation. Their last match (1-1 against Sevilla), I think it was the most reassuring for them. They're a good team. There are also changes, like in many clubs, departures, young players coming in, new arrivals. It's a whole mix to create. Coaches are faced with this every year. But it's a team that last year worked well and which, given what they gave and created, could have had an even better ranking. There are very good players. We were up against a very strong team. We had two difficult matches, but two truly competitive matches. It's not a disadvantage. Even if they were difficult and highlighted shortcomings or weaknesses on our part, I prefer to have played them.