Man Utd and Liverpool target told to ‘f*** off’ by his own fans

Robin Bairner

• 9 Mar 2024 07:48 GMT
• 4 min read

The door is firmly open for Manchester United or Liverpool to swoop in the summer for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who was told to “f*** off” by his own club’s fans in dramatic scenes on Friday.

Todibo scored an own goal as Les Aiglons suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Montpellier, with Francesco Farioli’s side in the midst of a major slump. Nice have taken just one point from their last six matches and are sliding out of Champions League contention.

The centre-back’s reaction to his blunder would not have helped his cause in the eyes of the supporters. He smiled ruefully.

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The real fireworks would come at the end of the match, though. As Nice went over to greet their ultras, Todibo was embroiled in an angry exchange with supporters that lasted some minutes.

His teammates pushed him to one side initially, but he returned a few minutes later to hold talks with the most fervent supporters, who told him to “f*** off”.

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Todibo reacts to fan clash

Speaking after the match, he admitted: “Yes, things got heated between a supporter and me.

“I like respect. I am respectful. I do not accept the fact that there is a lack of respect. I take responsibility for my mistakes and I know when I am right.

“I went to chat with them. There is frustration on their side, they would like us to achieve something. It's respectable. The situation is difficult. We all want to achieve our goal at the start of the season.

“It's peaceful. I'm not resentful. I spoke with the person I had a problem with. Everything is fine.”

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The episode, though, is simply another fire that Nice have to put out right now, with owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe focusing on Man Utd instead. Even before the match, there was a clear lack of engagement with fans, who failed to show up in numbers.

Indeed, Todibo could follow the billionaire to the Premier League, with rumours suggesting he could move to Old Trafford in the summer.

He has also been linked to Liverpool, yet it would be surprising if Ratcliffe was to sell to a rival club of Man Utd.

The situation in Nice, though, is tense. Todibo previously left Toulouse and Barcelona in disgrace, and he is now threatening to complete an unwelcome hat-trick after a spell at the Allianz Riviera where he has shown increased maturity.