Holder and captain for four matches, he will face his former club without any apparent nostalgia.
It seems that the time when Thibaud Rey (32) was content with bits of matches in the Nice jersey is long gone. Handicapped by a shoulder injury and hampered by competition provided in the second row (Tivoli, Murday, Freytes, Chartier and Vigne), his impact seemed limited. But since the end of November and the match against Aix (30-34), the native of Izeaux, in Isère, has established himself as a key element of the Nice pack and, better still, as captain.
Against Biarritz, the second row once again displayed the full extent of his qualities. Often well placed in defense and very available in the game, he also established himself as the main launching pad on the sidelines, where he disrupted the Biarritz alignment on four occasions: “In Biarritz, on the touchline, he was very strong, completes his trainer Alexandre Compan, but not only that. In the game, he is always present and he is very involved in obscure tasks. He’s a second line of duty, who knows how to stay in his place, but when we need him, he’s always there.”
This discreet captain off the field surprised everyone when he gathered his entire group in the center of the field after the defeat against Nevers, calling for unity and general mobilization: “It’s true, I don’t speak for the sake of saying nothing. I know how to find the words, and I must assume my responsibility. Being captain is important in victory, but in defeat, it’s even more complicated . I must ensure that the group remains mobilized. I must play this unifying role and have this vision to ensure that everyone remains involved.
A former FCG
A role all the more difficult to manage as Stade Nice is preparing to receive the Grenoble leader, who demonstrated all his power against Brive. “I watched clips of the match, says Thibaud. It is a very complete, mobile and powerful team. It’s going to be interesting to measure ourselves against them.”
A far from trivial opponent for Thibaud, who studied at FC Grenoble. A few years after his departure from the red and blue club, he maintains a look that is both nostalgic and distant: “I won two Reichel titles with Grenoble, and it always remains a special match to play against them. But I’m not a fan of that. I don’t know any players anymore. I have news from friends who have kept in touch, but nothing more.”
It is therefore with the number 4 behind his back and the responsibility of captaincy that Thibaud Rey will enter the pitch on Friday evening, with the hope of ending the year well. “A successful match will only require a victory, even if the task may be complicated”he concludes.
