OGC Nice president Fabrice Bocquet has lifted the lid on the repercussions of Sunday’s fan ambush that has further embroiled Les Aiglons in a full-blown crisis. On the back of Nice’s sixth defeat on the bounce against promoted Ligue 1 side FC Lorient, around 400 Nice fans gathered outside the club’s training centre.

Several players, as well as Sporting Director Florian Maurice have been directly subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi are on sick leave. On Wednesday, the players released a statement whereas head coach Franck Haise performed a U-turn regarding his managerial future with the INEOS-owned Ligue 1 club.

Speaking to L’Equipe and Nice-Matin, club president Fabrice Bocquet has clearly condemned the “unacceptable” events on Sunday. “There’s been a lot of talk about physical violence, but what strikes me the most is the significant psychological impact. The days that followed allowed us to truly grasp the extent of it.”

Bocquet also adds that the information at his disposal regarding Sunday’s gathering were, in retrospect, incorrect. “If the club had had all the information, the decision would have been not to take the team bus to the training centre.”

Jean-Pierre Rivère’s successor says he started to realize the toll of the fan ambush the following day, where he witnessed “great suffering” among the players. Bocquet also confirms that Haise offered his resignation as head coach. The former RC Lens manager also said that Maurice and Bocquet should resign as well. “That wasn’t what I was thinking at the time. I wanted to be there for the club’s employees and for the OGC Nice institution.”

Bocquet also revealed that a heated discussion took place between him, Haise, Maurice and INEOS Sport president Jean-Claude Blanc. “We agreed it felt good to have spoken, and now we’re moving forward. If we don’t have meaningful discussions, it means we haven’t understood anything.“

According to the OGC Nice president, the club’s owners – INEOS – are perfectly aware of the seriousness of the situation. “They are supporting us. The shareholder’s representative will be speaking shortly. They have acknowledged the need to provide public support.“