Dante, OGC Nice’s 40-year-old Brazilian centre-back, finally got a break when his side from the French Riviera faced Lyon last Friday night. Even if that decision was not entirely on his own terms.
Nice lost both their previous match, against Monaco, and their captain Dante to a red card, and then, in his absence through suspension, lost to Lyon too. But despite that, there’s plenty to be excited about along the south of France.
Even taking into account those two defeats, Nice can boast Ligue 1’s best defence, with the Brazilian captaining the side, and playing alongside prized summer transfer window prospect Jean-Clair Todibo.
The duo have kept out the least amount of goals in the league, creating one of the most dynamic and interesting centre-back partnerships in world football at the moment.
Dante at 40-years-old, and Todibo at 24-years-old are both at very different stages in their career but both have been instrumental to keeping Nice dreaming of Champions League football next season at the Allianz Riviera.
When Dante was Todibo’s age, he’d just won the Belgian First Division for the second time ahead of a move to the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach. This summer, Todibo seems primed to make the leap to one of Europe’s elite clubs, and for good reason.
According to FotMob, Todibo is in the 92nd percentile of Ligue 1 centre-backs with 125 ball recoveries, 97th percentile in touches with 1,696, and 96th percentile in successful passes with 1,325. These aren’t just boring side-to-side passes either, with 69 accurate long balls putting him in the 90th percentile of Ligue 1 centre-backs as well.
The former Barcelona player has all the makings of an elite modern centre-back who is both comfortable on the ball, and in defense.
Next to him at the heart of Nice’s backline is Dante.
The three-time Bundesliga champion and UEFA Champions League winner (with Bayern Munich) has won more in his career than most footballers could dream of. Now in his eighth season with Nice, after joining from Wolfsburg at the age of 32, this season could end up being his best at the club he now played more games for than any other in his long career.
Amazingly, according to FotMob, Dante is in the 100th percentile of Ligue 1 centre-backs when it comes to ball recoveries with 154, touches with 2,074, and successful passes with 1,680. Who doesn’t play their best football aged 40!?
Even after being sent off against Monaco, Dante still holds the joint-highest FotMob rating on the team, sharing the top spot with flying left-back Melvin Bard. As “Les Aiglons” race against their rivals for one of Ligue 1’s precious Champions League spots behind PSG, the club and their players are letting it be known, that is the goal.
Dante and Todibo aren’t the only players stepping up in the Nice backline. Goalkeeper Marcin Bułka has also been instrumental in helping Nice keep 13 clean sheets. The young Polish shot stopper is ahead of Premier League champion Kasper Schmeichel for the starting spot between the sticks, and made his senior international debut for his national team back in Autumn.
As mentioned, young left-back Melvin Bard has also showcased his talents on the Mediterranean coast, vying with Dante for top spot in Nice’s FotMob ratings with 7.36, with Todibo just .3 points behind them. The Frenchman excels at flying up the left flank and providing an electric attacking option for Francesco Farioli’s side.
Farioli certainly deserves a mention as well. The Italian worked under Roberto De Zerbi at Sassuolo before earning his first managerial job in Turkey at Fatih Karagümrük, and then Alanyaspor, who he helped finish 5th during the 2021-22 Süper Lig season. His work in helping organize the defense is certainly admired down south.
While on the pitch, Nice certainly have been making a name for themselves, off the pitch, supporters of Manchester United may also have taken notice of the Club for other reasons.
Nice is owned by INEOS, and INEOS, along with CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe, just recently purchased 25% of the Red Devils. Get Football News France reports that the French Club have zero concerns over potentially becoming an affiliate, and are keen to keep their own identity. These connections found between European Club’s owned by the same owners seem to be increasingly common in the modern game, such as the links between Manchester City and Girona or Red Bull Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.
For Nice, the attention stays at Nice, as it should. There are European places to be won, and a win against Clermont Foot next Saturday would be a fantastic rebound after their back-to-back defeats.
As for Dante, it’s well known that there are a dizzying amount of locations along the French Riviera for one to relax. There’s no doubt however, that Nice’s captain will be rearing to get back on the pitch following his suspension, ready to get his season that’s making everyone in Nice feel young again, back underway.
(Images from IMAGO)
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