Will Still was left frustrated not only by a “deadly boring” match between Stade de Reims and OGC Nice, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Les Stadistes but also by the “taunting” by opposition manager Francesco Farioli.
Views on the quality of the match greatly differed. Post-match, Farioli dismissed notions of an insipid match between the two European challengers. “We knew it would be a match of duels. We knew winning ‘dirty’ situations would win the match […] I saw a beautiful match,” said the Italian in a press conference attended by Get French Football News.
However, Still was not in agreement, with the Englishman describing it as a “deadly boring” fixture. “There is frustration. It really annoys me; it makes me mad. Overall, the match was deadly boring until the goal. It was a tactical battle that really wasn’t one. There was too much slopiness on our side to make the match interesting,” he reacted in an interview with Prime Video Sport.
‘When you score a goal, don’t come and taunt me’ – Still
The Reims manager also didn’t react well to what he perceived as provocation from Farioli during the celebration for Nice’s goal. “When you score a goal, don’t come and taunt me because I just want to hit you. When I celebrate, I do it on the other side of the bench. I try to stay calm because there are lots of emotions […] I find it unnecessary, but it’s just a little thing. Well done to him. He is doing a remarkable job,” said Still.
Farioli sought to downplay the altercation. “[At the end], I said well done to him as I do with all managers,” he told Get French Football News, without referencing any altercation with Still. The Italian instead admitted he was frustrated with some refereeing decisions during the match but said that “it all stays on the field.”
WATCH: OGC Nice’s video defence
The reason for Farioli’s bemusement quickly becomes evident. In the wake of Still’s accusations, OGC Nice’s social channels released a video of the celebrations on both goals, showing that their manager remained well within the confines of his own technical area.
