"With him, it's a done deal": who is Fabrice Bocquet, the future president of OGC Nice?

Jean-Pierre Rivère wouldn't have left his Gym in the hands of just anyone. And so we can trust him when he says he fully supports Ineos' decision to make Fabrice Bocquet its successor .

"He is very competent and has managed to structure the club in three years. Today, everything is mapped out for Nice," assures the future ex-president, who will still work for the club but via the endowment fund.

Since the arrival of the CEO at the end of 2022, JPR has taken a step back from managing day-to-day affairs and the organization will therefore not be shaken up after the handover of power scheduled for August 20. "It's an evolution, not a revolution," Fabrice Bocquet confirmed to the press on Friday.

"With him, it's square"

At 42, the HEC graduate is about to embark on an exciting new stage in his career, and according to those who accompany him daily in his Nice adventure, it's not undeserved.

"If there is someone who should take over from Jean-Pierre, it is logical that it should be Fabrice, who already had a very important role on the operational and strategic level," comments coach Franck Haise.

"Working with Fabrice is pleasant because things are straightforward. The discussions are well-founded. When he says yes, it makes sense, when he says no, it's never for nothing."

If the coach and the future CEO already knew each other from their time in Lorient (2015-2017), the sporting director Florian Maurice has been discovering him for a year.

"We clicked well. I've met some competent people in my career, but he's honestly brilliant." In this transfer window, the roles are clear.

"I'm very focused on the sporting aspect, the players, the integration, the first contacts. I have a lot of autonomy in that regard. But when it comes to concluding when things get a bit stuck, Fabrice is unwaveringly supportive," explains the DS, delighted with the strong alignment between the club's major figures, even "in the most difficult moments."

The economic situation in French football isn't making things any easier, and if Fabrice Bocquet has earned Ineos's trust to this extent, it's because he's proven his ability to lead OGC Nice towards a more sustainable operation. The road ahead is still long, and it hasn't been without its challenges, which may have caused resentment among former employees.

Some close friends confirm that he can be quite harsh and abrupt at times. They explain that he seeks authenticity above all in his interactions, even if it means telling (and also hearing) truths that aren't always pleasant. With the goal of always improving.

"He is one of the best"

Our many interviewees described him as a healthy, upright, loyal, and committed man. He was sometimes touchy, always challenging his teams, and disconcerting in his extreme control of his emotions.

"At the time, I would have liked his emotions to open up, for him to let himself vibrate. But in hindsight, I discovered someone very endearing," confides Mickaël Landreau, who had his first coaching experience alongside him at Lorient (2017-2019).

His identity (he is Franco-Colombian) and his professional experiences at the Merlus (where he was financial director and then CEO) as well as in recognized institutions such as the strategy consulting firm McKinsey, for which he notably worked on the business plan for the new stadium of a very big European club, have shaped him.

Before joining Nice, he also led numerous missions with Saudi Arabia and European institutions (FIFA, UEFA) for Portas Consulting.

"He's someone with a lot of experience, in France and abroad, as well as a real strategic vision. He's a complete player because he's as good at both the financial and sporting aspects. For me, he's one of the best," says USL Dunkerque sporting director and former Senegalese international Demba Ba.

Leader by work

The two men reconnected years after playing together at Montrouge. The former Chelsea player must have been 18 (he's 40 now), but he remembers scoring quite a few goals against his older goalkeeper.

Because beyond the technocrat, as some critics accuse him of being, Fabrice Bocquet is also a football enthusiast, still very connected to the amateur world. It was with the idea of becoming a professional player that he left Bogota, where he passed his Baccalaureate, to return to France.

He will reach his limits in a National squad (at Clermont Foot) but it is in the role of president that he will try to win the Champions League with OGC Nice.

A trajectory that delights but does not surprise Clarisse Magnin, the first female managing director of McKinsey in France.

" What struck me was that he was very balanced. McKinsey wasn't known for being Club Med. But he had the courage to set boundaries; there was no question of compromising being a good husband and a good father (he has three daughters) . He sometimes had difficult projects to manage, but he always did so with serenity. He's a quiet force, someone who doesn't push to get ahead. He always moved forward through his work."