OGC Nice have said in an official statement that they will take the case of Hatem Ben Arfa to the French Administrative Tribunal to try and allow the Frenchman to play competitive matches for the club. The LFP ruled yesterday that, whilst Ben Arfa was free to join and train with OGC Nice, he could not play any official matches for the club.
Nice President Jean-Pierre Rivere said: ‘A decision has finally been given to us after almost a month of procrastination. The decision does not surprise us given how the French authorities have conducted this matter from the beginning, both in substance and in form. We will now take it to the Administrative Tribunal.’
The news follows reports that other players have been able to play matches for three different clubs in a season without facing the same problems as Hatem Ben Arfa currently is. For example, Bruno Zuculini, owned by Manchester City, played in the Community Shield for his club against Arsenal earlier this season, before playing a La Liga match for Valencia during a short loan spell. He has now successfully signed on loan for Cordoba, another Spanish side. It is thought that OGC Nice will present this case to the French Administrative Tribunal to try and help overturn Ben Arfa’s ineligibility.
