Nice and Saint‑Étienne face closed‑door relegation play‑off as financial review looms

OGC Nice and AS Saint‑Étienne will meet in a two‑leg Ligue 1 relegation play‑off on 26 May and 29 May. Both matches are ordered to be played behind closed doors after disciplinary sanctions, and Nice will be without suspended forward Elye Wahi for the first leg. The tie decides which club remains in France’s top division, while the loser could still be reprieved if another Ligue 1 side faces administrative relegation.

Beyond the on‑field stakes, both clubs must also confront the DNCG – the French football financial regulator – whose assessment in June could affect their licences. A negative DNCG decision could force a club’s relegation regardless of the play‑off result, reshaping the league’s composition for the next season.