For the first time, a Nice club will discover the first division of futsal this Saturday.

A formidable and eagerly awaited baptism of fire, with excitement (a lot), desire (in equal quantities), but also some signs of concern - a very legitimate feeling - which could, however, at least partially, fade away at the end of this first day. An opening which, whatever happens, will go down in history, since no Nice club, in the entire history of futsal, had ever taken its place among the French elite...

Behind the scenes, therefore, there is more questioning than bragging. It must be said that for the "Men in Black", if the accession to the highest level has, at the moment, produced at least exhilarating effects, the idea of ​​staying there, on the other hand, can only take root in the minds on the condition of equipping oneself with solid references in a championship known to be dense and among the most competitive in Europe. And it is not the content of the preparation matches that will have allowed to dispel doubts. "We went on a training camp in Belgium, underlines Elyesse Ben Salem who is now fully dedicated to coaching (1). There, we calibrated ourselves against different teams, including some from the 1st division, but without really managing to find the right benchmarks. We have not yet identified the sectors to work on as a priority… "

A game identity to find

But in his eyes, it's above all in the mindset that his group must find the keys. By demonstrating, on the pitch, those values ​​that have helped shape the club's identity, giving it a soul. "To hope to get out of this, we're going to need real warriors..."

The squad, in fact, has undergone quite a few changes since last June. While most of the key players have remained loyal to the project, the NFC has been particularly active on the transfer market. Signing no fewer than 7 new players, or even 8 if the latest deal, concerning a former international, were to be released (2). "We targeted the profiles we needed. I think we were quite successful in our transfer window, even if for some D1 players, coming to us seemed like too risky a bet..."

So all that's left is to cement everything together. To ensure that the graft takes hold and that a commando spirit emerges to achieve the number one objective: staying up! "It will surely take time before the connections are made and we produce coherent football. But I repeat, beyond the game, I also expect the guys to show character..."

In any case, the ideal would be to start the season with a victory. Even if this Parisian team won't be presenting itself tonight as a sacrificial victim. That's what Elyesse thinks, anyway. "They're certainly coming off a somewhat complicated season, after having a hard time coming to terms with their coach's departure, but they have experience and will surely be out for revenge. So it will be very, very complicated."

But he already knew that...

1. Currently in training, to obtain the required diplomas, he has made a request for an exemption from the French Federation to be allowed to sit on the bench this season.

2. The recruits: Moktar Keita (ex-AS Nantaise, D2), Fabio Herrera (ex-Kingersheim, D1), Jésus Gualda (ex-Béthunes, D2), Luccas Do Nascimiento (Brazil), Gino Stalluca (Italy), Maxence Rault-Pauillac (ex-Kremlin-Bicêtre, D1), Daniel Pineda (Spanish D2).