“I told Florian Maurice: I am staying”
Ali Abdi has decided to speak out. The OGC Nice full-back has revisited one of the most heated episodes from the end of last season on the French Riviera.
The backdrop was tense. Nice were about to face Saint-Etienne in their relegation play-off. At the same time, Abdi was linking up with the Tunisia squad to prepare for the World Cup. The club wanted its internationals available for that decisive two-legged tie.
The defender now insists he never wanted to leave. “I did not want to go to the World Cup. I told Florian Maurice: I am staying. I cannot tell the club that pays me: I want to go with Tunisia and leave the group to fight for survival.”
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Two stories, and they do not match
Back then, the exit was framed very differently. The player was said to have left Nice without the club’s approval. A disciplinary sanction was even mentioned.
Abdi backs up his case with a family analogy. “Can a man leave his family at the last minute? I do not do that.” It is blunt stuff. And it is aimed squarely at those who accused him of turning his back on the dressing room.
The saga left its mark. The Tunisia international went through several difficult months and spent a long spell away from the pitch.
Fifteen minutes at Le Mans, and a season that finally starts
This media appearance was no impulsive move. Nice backed their player in speaking out. The club wants to shut the file and move on.
On the pitch, Abdi is slowly finding his legs again. He came on for 15 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Le Mans. His season started late, but at least it has started.
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