Nice and Rangers Prepare for Europa League Clash, Recalling Historic European Roots

Mohamed-Ali Cho previously played for Everton and England at youth level before opting to represent France. The Europa League fixture between Nice and Rangers is scheduled for Thursday, 28 November, with a kick-off at 20:00 GMT at the Grand Stade de Nice. Coverage will be available on BBC Radio Scotland Extra/Sounds/DAB/810MW, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website. Nice, who were Rangers’ inaugural European opponents, are set to face them in the Europa League exactly 68 years after their previous encounter. This past meeting was one of three games played between the reigning champions of Scotland and France, vying for a spot in the quarter-finals of the newly formed Champions Cup. A 2-1 first-leg win for Rangers at Ibrox was negated by a defeat with an identical scoreline on the Cote d’Azur, leading to a decisive play-off match at Parc des Princes in Paris. Nice secured a 3-1 victory in that play-off but were subsequently eliminated in the following round by Real Madrid, who were then in pursuit of their second of five consecutive European titles in the competition. The 1950s marked a prosperous period for Nice, during which they claimed all four of their Ligue 1 titles. A return to such prominence appeared improbable until the club’s acquisition in 2019 by Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Nevertheless, despite substantial investment in the senior squad, Nice’s fifth-place finish last season was their highest league position since securing third place in 2016-17. Some supporters have voiced apprehension that Ratcliffe’s significant investment in Manchester United could result in a diminished focus on the French club. Jim Ratcliffe, an investor in Manchester United, is the owner of Nice. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s tenure at Nice has been characterized by frequent changes in the managerial role, making Rangers’ situation seem stable by comparison. Since Patrick Vieira’s dismissal in 2020, six managers, encompassing both interim and permanent appointments, have occupied the position, with none remaining for more than a single season. The most recent individual tasked with breaking this pattern of managerial turnover is 53-year-old Franck Haise, who was appointed as head coach in the summer alongside new director of football, Florian Maurice. Haise, who had a modest playing career, guided Lens from Ligue 2 to Champions League qualification during his four years with the club and was identified as the successor to Italian Francesco Farioli, who left for Ajax at the conclusion of last season. Haise has demonstrated consistent leadership, though without achieving extraordinary outcomes, and Nice are once again contending for European qualification, albeit without appearing to be serious title contenders. Nevertheless, their Europa League performance has been underwhelming, with only two points accumulated from four matches, prompting Haise to state that the upcoming game against Rangers is a must-win for his team to retain a realistic chance of advancing. Predictably, Nice’s two points in the competition have been secured on home turf: a commendable 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad, followed by recovering from a two-goal deficit to draw against Twente in the most recent round of fixtures. This home form is not unexpected, as they remain undefeated at home this season, having held league leaders Paris St-Germain and fourth-placed Lille, defeated second-placed Monaco, and achieved an 8-0 rout of St Etienne. However, Nice’s recent victory against Strasbourg on Sunday, where they again had to come from behind, was not entirely convincing, especially after Haise altered his customary three-at-the-back formation to a four-man defence. This performance might partly be attributed to numerous player absences, a factor that could benefit Rangers. Terem Moffi, the Nigerian striker and last season’s leading scorer, along with influential midfielder Morgan Sanson, who arrived from Aston Villa last summer, are currently sidelined with long-term injuries. Additionally, key players like right-back Jonathan Clauss, Tunisia left-back Ali Abdi, and defensive midfielder Youssouf Ndaysimiya face fitness concerns, while Canada centre-back Moise Bombito and midfielder Sofiane Diop, both regular starters, are suspended. Despite these absences, Nice still possesses several quality players, with former Everton youth forward Mohamed-Ali Cho notably impressing on Sunday. Nevertheless, should Rangers replicate their European performance instead of their domestic form, they have legitimate reason to believe they can extend their recent strong away record in the competition and advance further, at least towards the play-off round.