Overview
- Nice sealed their top‑flight place by beating Saint‑Étienne 4-1 on aggregate in the relegation play‑off, a tie decided after a 0-0 first leg and a decisive home performance on Monday.
- The club will receive a reported £18.2m in prize money, a sum that clubs lose if relegated and that removes a near-term financial shock for INEOS ownership.
- Jonathan Clauss opened the scoring in the second leg (62nd minute), Zuriko Davitashvili converted a 79th‑minute penalty for Saint‑Étienne, Kail Boudache restored Nice’s lead two minutes later, and Elye Wahi added a late double to clinch the tie.
- Supporter unrest toward INEOS remains unresolved, with past demonstrations, boycotts and a 2025 incident in which ultras stormed the training ground still shaping relations between fans and owners.
- The result has wider resonance for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who co-owns Manchester United; United have secured a return to the Champions League under Michael Carrick and are reported to be close to signing midfielder Ederson from Atalanta, a transfer that remains unconfirmed in official channels.