Rare gesture: Clauss relinquishes Nice captaincy

Jonathan Clauss has relinquished the captaincy of Nice, despite being appointed as the team's captain by coach Olivier Pantaloni at the start of the season. This decision came before the match against Lille, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Nice on Sunday in the 5th round of Ligue 1.

Panteloni revealed that the decision came from Clauss himself, explaining: "Jojo came to me with great courage and honesty, and told me that he doesn't really feel like a natural leader. I looked at it very positively. We informed the group about it, and he spoke in front of his teammates and explained the reasons that led him to request to give up the armband. Everyone appreciated this step."

After Clauss's decision, Belgian Axel Witsel has been chosen to wear the captain's armband. Panteloni stated that Witsel was a logical choice given his vast experience, having played 140 international matches for Belgium, adding: "He is an experienced player with an impressive career, and it made sense to consider him. However, we wanted to explore all options to avoid making any mistakes, and I believe his selection was met with unanimous agreement."

Jonathan Clauss, 34, started against Lille but did not wear the captain's armband he had at the beginning of the season. According to Nice Matin, Axel Witsel only learned he was the new captain of Nice on the day of the match.

Nice sit 14th in the Ligue 1 table and will host RC Strasbourg Alsace after the international break.