Algerian midfielder Hicham Boudaoui benched as tensions rise over team cohesion at struggling Nice

Hicham Boudaoui’s omission from Nice’s defeat at Lorient has intensified scrutiny around the midfielder’s situation, as the club’s sporting director delivered a pointed criticism of the squad’s internal dynamics.

Returning from a minor hip injury, the Algeria international was expected to feature as Nice attempted to halt a damaging run of form.

Instead, he was left out of Franck Haise’s starting line-up and remained unused throughout the 2–0 loss, which marked the team’s sixth straight defeat.

With no injury or suspension explaining his absence, Boudaoui’s exclusion was widely interpreted as a deliberate move by Haise in search of a spark to reverse their alarming slide.

However, the decision appears to be rooted in more than tactical adjustments.

Comments from sporting director Florian Maurice strongly suggested that the midfielder’s benching stemmed from concerns over behaviour and attitude within the squad—issues he believes have contributed significantly to Nice’s decline.

Boudaoui, a key player in recent seasons, was the only prominent member of the squad completely left out of the coach’s plans for the match.

Maurice stopped short of naming individuals but made clear that internal standards were not being met.

Obviously, we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves and work together. We obviously have our responsibility in what’s happening today.We’re really not satisfied with what we’re managing to create with this group. It’s up to us now, all of us together, to find the means to succeed, because the situation is very, very bad.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he stressed that unity must be restored if Nice are to recover from their slide.

It’s up to us to find the right elements to allow this team to rediscover its values and achieve results, he said. It’s our duty and our responsibility to ensure that this group can be united, work together, play together, and react together in difficult times. Currently, that’s not the case. It’s up to us to ensure that the team gets results, and as quickly as possible.

The remarks appeared to target a small group within the squad, with Boudaoui believed to be among those whose mindset has come under scrutiny.

Maurice made no criticism of the player’s technical qualities, instead pointing to cohesion as the missing ingredient.

Mindset is important. This summer, when we’re in the transfer market, we know the players’ mindset. But it’s not just the players who have arrived, the players who are here; it’s a combination of things that mean the team isn’t cohesive today.

He warned that the club cannot overhaul the squad mid-season and that improvement must come from within.

We’re struggling to build cohesion within this group. Until we achieve that cohesion, we won’t succeed. That’s where it all starts. We’re not going to change 15 players in the winter transfer window. If we don’t support this team, if the players don’t support each other, it will be very difficult. But I’m convinced we’ll get there, he said.

Maurice ended on a note of cautious optimism: I’ve been in groups where it was difficult.This one isn’t necessarily difficult; it’s a group that needs to experience moments together, to be more united, more cohesive, even if we sometimes feel that it already is. When I see the guys in their day-to-day lives, there are things that are very good. Right now, the results aren’t there yet. There are shortcomings in that area. We have to fix them, and we will fix them.