According to information from the daily newspaper L’Equipe, Alexandre Dujeux could become the future coach of OGC Nice as early as next season.
What if OGC Nice had found Claude Puel’s successor? Arriving last December to replace Franck Haise on the Gym’s bench, Puel (who was at the club from 2012 to 2016) has not completed his mission to keep the team on the Côte d’Azur. With a five-point lead over the relegation playoff spot occupied by AJ Auxerre, the Niçois club will travel to Strasbourg in the next match, before playing a French Cup semifinal on April 22. While waiting for the end of this challenging season, the Gym is already planning for the future. It’s possible that the next coach will be Alexandre Dujeux, the current coach of SCO Angers. “The name of the Angevin coach is not new: it was already considered by the club this winter, before the choice went to Puel,” wrote L’Equipe last Saturday.
Dujeux on the rise
Arriving in 2023 at Angers, Alexandre Dujeux helped the club win promotion to Ligue 1 during the 2023/2024 season. They finished second behind Auxerre to return to the French football elite. After finishing 14th last season, the club is currently 12th and has a 10-point lead over the relegation playoff spot with seven games left. While safety is not yet guaranteed, Dujeux is on the right track to secure it in the coming weeks. The former assistant to Olivier Pantaloni at Ajaccio, then to Gérald Baticle at Angers, could commit to Nice next season. Linked to the club until 2027, he could automatically extend his contract until 2028 in case of survival. “Despite an automatic one-year extension to come once the SCO’s survival is official, Dujeux should be on the market, and he also has the experience of fighting against relegation. A dimension that could prove important at the Gym, whose financial capabilities under Ineos will continue to decline,” added L’Equipe.
Deprived of recruitment by the DNCG, Dujeux could have more resources in the south, considering the club’s participation in the Europa League this season (33rd in the group stage with only one victory in eight matches). But based on Angers’ season, the management might decide to retain their current coach. Dujeux will undoubtedly be a name to watch in the transfer market this summer.
