OGC Nice fans call for Algerian midfielder Hicham Boudaoui’s exit after standout performance in Toulouse defeat

OGC Nice suffered a disappointing start to their Ligue 1 campaign on Saturday, falling 1-0 at home to Toulouse, but one player emerged from the defeat with his reputation intact.

Algerian midfielder Hicham Boudaoui was widely praised for his display, with some supporters even suggesting he deserves to move on to a bigger club.

While frustration ran high among the home fans following the shock result, Boudaoui escaped the criticism directed at his teammates.

Many felt the 24-year-old was the only positive in an otherwise lacklustre performance from the Aiglons.

L’Équipe captured the mood in their Sunday edition, writing: There was him and the others. He did everything on his own and that wasn’t enough: ball recovery, passer, shooter. He is a physical and technical example for this team and a model of commitment. But few follow him.

On social media, some Nice supporters echoed the sentiment, with posts calling for Boudaoui to be allowed to leave.

Hicham Boudaoui’s game, Seriously, we’re breathing down our necks.  As Nice supporters, we absolutely must let him leave the club tonight,” one fan tweeted. Another added: Boudaoui ran for two and held the midfield all by himself. You’ll understand when he’s no longer there.

The admiration extended beyond the Allianz Riviera.

Some Olympique de Marseille fans openly expressed their desire to see Boudaoui strengthen their midfield, highlighting the impact he has made across Ligue 1 despite Nice’s collective struggles.

Boudaoui, who joined Nice in 2019, has grown into a central figure for the team, valued for both his tireless work rate and his technical ability.

Yet his individual brilliance has increasingly stood in contrast to the inconsistency of the squad around him.

Head coach Franck Haise was quick to dismiss the prospect of a summer departure, making it clear that Boudaoui remains central to the club’s plans.

He will not leave. It is the club that decides who stays and who leaves. He, like others, may have ambitions, but we have the desire to keep a team that holds up, to strengthen it and to recover our injured players to recover a team that aims for the top seven. It is not by losing Hicham or others that we will get there, Haise told reporters.

Even so, the pressure is mounting on Haise himself.

Nice’s early exit from the UEFA Champions League against Benfica Lisbon, coupled with this opening defeat, has raised questions about the direction of the team.

For now, Boudaoui’s future appears secure, but his growing stature and the admiration of rival supporters suggest speculation will continue to follow him.