Speaking on RMC Sport show Rothen s’Enflamme, OGC Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi recalls being “amazed” during his first meeting with Francesco Farioli.
Many names, including former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, were linked to the job at Nice this summer. However, it was ultimately Farioli, a somewhat unknown quantity, who succeeded Didier Digard in the dugout at the Allianz Riviera.
Farioli worked under Roberto De Zerbi as a goalkeeper coach in Italy, but his experience was limited. The 34-year-old Italian’s only experience as a first-team manager has come in Turkey. Farioli has managed at Fatih Karagümrük and then Alanyaspor, a club where he had previously been an assistant manager.
Nice’s risk looks to be paying off. Les Aiglons are the only remaining unbeaten team in Ligue 1, and they currently sit second in the table, just one point behind league leaders and local rivals AS Monaco. Ghisolfi, responsible for bringing Farioli to Nice, has now spoken about his first impressions of the Italian coach.
“We met with him, just like we met with around 10 other managers. We were amazed. He is superb, someone who has strong convictions and who has different ideas that you don’t often see in France. It’s a slightly different style of play. There are lots of teams that want possession and to control the game, but he also searches for stability,” began Ghisolfi.
He added, “We have a balance, with full-backs that can invert, and I find it really interesting. It’s intellectually stimulating to discover a different way of playing and a very defined style of play.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
