It has several international players, who have been selected in various France teams.
The ONN water-polo team has successfully won the title of Champion of France in 1999 by defeating its eternal rival: the Cercle des Nageurs of Marseille. This title allows it to rise to the most prestigious European Cup in this discipline: the European Cup of Champion Clubs.

COMPOSITION OF THE TEAM
The new team of 19 Nice players, which is coached by Paolo Malara, already twice European Champion with Pescara (Italy), announces a renewal of water-polo in France.

Paolo Malara is a coach who is feared, worshipped and much sought-after by high level polo players.
This fan of water polo and workaholic has a strong charisma and is internationally renowned. At the request of Richard Papazian, the club's general manager, he came to Nice in 1997. in order to lead a strategy of reconquest of the Champion of France's title by Olympique Nice. The goals were quickly reached, followed by the results in the European cup. The efficiency of Paolo Malara's work, supported by the club's managers, has attracted players of other French and European clubs to the O.N.N..

Today, Paolo Malara's ambition is to take his team to the "final four" of the European Cup. To this end, he requires from his players a relentless work and coaches them 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. On top of this pressure, there are two friendly meetings a week with the club of Savona (Italy), and the tournaments of European water polo's star clubs to which the Nice team is now regularly invited.

Since September 2000. Vito Padovan is competing for Olympic Nice.

OLYMPIC NICE - 2001

French Cup again for Nice (02.04.2001)

One week before the final game day of the 2001 LEN Champions League the French series champion and reigning cup winner Olympic Nice Natation won the Final Four of the national cup competition. In the final at Yves Blanc indoor-pool in Aix-en-Provence the team from the Mediterranean Sea gained a very clear 16-4 (3-1, 3-2, 4-0, 6-1) victory against Enfants de Neptune de Tourcoing.The club coming next from the border to Belgium had dominated French water polo with an incredible series of wins lasting from 1909 to 1951, but the last national title was dating back to 1988. In the semifinals Tourcoing had beaten the team from Echirolles (second division) 17-4 (3-2, 2-1, 5-0, 7-1). In revival of last year's final Nice had beaten once again CN Marseille 10-5 (1-0, 4-1, 3-1, 2-3). Scorers for Nice were: Silvis 6, Bérenguel 3, De Bruyn 2, Scheffer 2, Uri 2, Padovan 1.

Olympic Nice wins the 2001 French Championship (22.05.2001)

In the semifinals, Nice won against Montpellier Water-polo (14-8 and 12-4) and Marseille beat DFC Sète by three games (9-11, 15-10 and 13-9).

Nice won 10-6 in the first final. Olympic Nice Natation won the first game of the final of the French Elite championship 10 to 6 in Marseille against the CNM. Scores for Nice were: Silvis (NED) 2, Bérenguel 2, Padovan (CRO) 2, Cousin 1, De Nardi 1, Andrieu 1 and Uri (NED) 1.

In final game with a victory over CN Marseille by 8-5, Olympic Nice became the champion of the French Elite League for the fifth time in five years.

With the game between Marseille and Nice the French Championship is over. After that the teams that will represent France next year in European competitions are known as well. This year's Champions League team, Olympic Nice will be play at the European Champions Cup. EN Tourcoing, runner-up in the French Cup after losing the final to Nice, will be present at the Cup Winner's Cup 2001/2002. Finally, the two representatives in the LEN Trophy will be CN Marseille and DFC Sète.

2001-2002

The 2001-2002 season of the French men's league will start on 3 November. Game day 18, the last one of the regular season, will be played on 20 April 2002, when the defending champion Olympique Nice Natation is facing CN Marseille in the top match. New teams in the first division are Taverny SN 95, FNC Douai and NC Angérien (St-Jean D'angély).

French Men’s League 2001-2002
Olympique Nice Natation
CN Marseille
DFC Sète
EN Tourcoing
SN Strasbourg
S. Givors
Montpellier Water-polo
Taverny SN 95
FNC Douai
NC Angérien (St-Jean D'angély)

36 Avenue Paul Arène - 06000 NICE, FRANCE
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fax : (+33) (0)4 93 97 64 32