With a 4-2 home win against relegation strugglers Saint Etienne, Nice came back into the battle for the Champions League place but the game quite surprisingly went in a totally different direction. A very bad direction. Obviously still soar after a 1-0 loss to Nantes in the French Cup, a group of Nice supporters decided to make fan at former Nantes striker, who is dead for almost 3 years. And this disgusting act was condemned by everybody, especially Nice coach Christophe Galtier. Certain Nice fans with a shocking chant on Emiliano Sala a few days after they lost the cup final to Nantes:”He’s an Argentine, who can’t swim well, Emiliano under the water [sous l’eau].” (via RMC)— Get French Football News (@GFFN) May 11, 2022 Argentinean Emiliano Sala was on his way to sign for Cardiff from Nantes when his plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2019. His former clubs Bordeaux and Nantes have usually applauded in the 9th minute of the match (his number on shirt was 9) and sang “He’s an Argentine, who never gives up, Emiliano Sala”. But, during the game with Saint Etienne, a part of the stadium sang the twisted version of the song: “He is an Argentine who does not swim well, Emiliano has drowned, Emiliano has drowned”.European football is at Nice’s grasp, great match overshadowed by disgusting chantsBoth Nantes and Nice condemned the behavior of the supporters in separate statements, while support for the deceased striker came from many clubs and players. Asked about it after the game, Nice coach Christophe Galtier didn’t hold back: “I have no words to describe what we heard. One of the first reactions in the dressing room was not chanting or cries of joy, or relief (after winning the game 4-2). It was to speak about what the players had heard. In the name of my dressing room, of my technical and medical staff, from the players, we would like to offer our apologies to Emiliano Sala’s family and to Nantes. You hear a lot of things in stadiums, but these people – and there weren’t just three of them – if they’re not happy, they can come to the training ground and I’ll say the same thing to them. We often say that what we see in stadiums is a reflection of society. If that’s what our society is, we are really in the s***. It’s surreal for me. I have no words. They need to stay at home. You cannot hear that in a stadium. If they’re coming to insult the dead, then they can stay at home” said the Frenchman. Haaland and Adeyemi opened the ‘hunting’ season for goal scorers: Mbappe, Lewa, Mane, Darwin Nunez, Nkunku…The scandalous songs will be examined by the Disciplinary Committee of the Professional Football League (LFP). The delegate present at the Nice – Saint Etienne noted the chants and although there are no sanctions provided for this, the club still incurs a heavy fine and partial closed session, especially after they were already fined for the troubles at Nice – Marseille game in August.
