Nice sporting director backs Mohamed Abdelmonem after return from lengthy absence

Nice sporting director Roger Ricourt has praised Egyptian defender Mohamed Abdelmonem saying the club is committed to helping him rediscover his best form after a lengthy spell out of the starting line-up.

Speaking to French newspaper Nice-Matin, Ricourt revealed there had been uncertainty over Abdelmonem’s future before he was reintegrated into first-team training.

“We thought he would want to leave the club,” Ricourt said.

He explained that the defender initially trained away from the main squad before being gradually reintroduced.

“He trained separately for a week, and at the end of the second week, when he joined the group training, the coach told me it was good for him to stay with us. We worked on gradually bringing him back to his best level.”

Ricourt also highlighted one area where he wants the Egypt international to improve off the pitch – learning French to help communication with the coaching staff.

“I really want him to learn French, and we will find someone to help him with that. When this player speaks, the coach doesn’t understand what he is saying.”

Despite the language barrier, Ricourt expressed confidence in Abdelmonem’s footballing qualities.

“Honestly, he has great defensive potential, and he is also good at bringing the ball out and building play from the back.”

The sporting director suggested Nice are satisfied with their defensive options and do not feel compelled to enter the transfer market for another centre-back.

“Do we have enough players in the back line? We think the answer is yes,” he said.

Ricourt pointed to experienced midfielder Axel Witsel as an emergency defensive option and also praised young defender Hamza Coton’s potential.

“Ultimately, we shouldn’t have too many players in this line, because we have four good players, and we only play one match a week.”

Abdelmonem recently returned to Nice’s starting line-up after a 492-day absence, featuring in the club’s most recent match against Paris FC, which ended in a 3-0 defeat for the French side.