Few players can emerge from this dreadful start to the season for OGC Nice with any credit, but Sofiane Diop is certainly one of them. “We’re rubbish, we know it,” Diop told supporters following the defeat to Lorient at the end of November. But the Moroccan, who amid this period of crisis has almost become the club’s official spokesperson, does not fall into that “rubbish” category. 

Paradoxically, this period of crisis has actually proved to be the most fruitful period of the former Rennes and Monaco forward’s career. In 16 Ligue 1 games, he already has six goals and two assists, including a brace against former club Monaco in the derby earlier this season. He is Le Gym’s top scorer and inside the top 10 in Ligue 1. 

Whilst he has performed, getting the goals and the assists, playing the role of the creative fulcrum, he has also remoulded our perception. The Moroccan has seen his attitude and mentality questioned a lot in recent years, but he has been making all the right noises and fronting up. He has clearly matured following that injury back in the 2022/23 season, which ruled him out for almost an entire year. And his comeback from his foot injury surprised even him. “I didn’t think that the sensations would come back so quickly,” he said at the end of last year.

Haise demands more from Diop

Franck Haise’s expectations of Diop are very high, and even during this purple patch, he continues to demand more, aware that the forward is capable of delivering. But despite the criticism, he has become one of his most trusted players, as evidenced by his participation in each of Nice’s Ligue 1 games. His versatility and ability to play multiple positions in midfield, as a false #9 or out wide, mean that he is an ever-present. 

Haise complains about his inability to “create a group”, although perhaps the recent violent episode outside the club’s training ground will help forge one, but it can be argued that the situation has created a leader in Diop. The forward is often the first to front up to his insufficiencies or those of the team, trying to mend the strained relationship with the fans, whilst also fronting up to the press. You don’t get points for speaking into a microphone, but it is indicative of his growing stature, and that has translated on the pitch and in his statistics, too.