“Like leaving your parents’ house”, “everyone has mistakes”: the confidence of Nantai’s Nicolas Cozza before the reunion with MHSC

The FC Nantes press officer was categorical. Nicolas Cozza did not hesitate for a second when he accepted Midi Libre’s interview request. Before returning to Mosson and MHSC, this time in his opponent’s shoes, the defender had a lot to say. Also to be explained, fifteen months after a departure that could have raised questions from a player viscerally linked to La Paillade. Viganais, trained in Montpellier before winning the 2017 Gambardella Cup there while turning professional there the same year, Cozza eventually chose Wolfsburg and Germany. The experience turned out to be difficult. At 25, he lives “a rebirth” In Nantes. Which he hopes to extend on Friday at La Mosson. “Home”he said.

This Friday you prepare to return to Montpellier 15 months after you left it. Do you understand?

No, it’s not about finding the house. It’s always fun even if it gets a little weird since it’s with an opposing team. But seeing all the former teammates, the staff, the managers, Butte Paillade… All of that makes this game special.

Is there a kind of nostalgia?

Yes, it reminds me of my early career. Montpellier is the club where I played for more than ten years. It obviously does something.

Your last appearance at La Mosson was a match against Nantes (0-3), on January 15, 2023…

But no! I didn’t remember it at all.

A few days later you left MHSC, which had offered you an extension since September. For what ?

It was a bit time to see other places, I had visited Montpellier. For my personal development, my career, it was the right time. Wolfsburg came, it seemed like the right step to go to the next level. It happened quite naturally.

Your training club, that of your grandfather, first captain at La Paillade: was the decision difficult to make?

Obviously, thinking that this was it, I left Montpellier, the place where I was born, where I grew up, developed… It’s like leaving my parents’ house. We free ourselves, we try adventures.

I didn’t want to leave at the end of my contract (in June 2023) and be free and not let the club collect money. It was quite a complicated situation

Some voices accused you of abandoning ship at a difficult time (15th) when you had declared that you saw yourself there “all your life”. How did you take it?

Honestly, I didn’t hear too much, I made my choices. In football, if you start listening to criticism, you cannot progress.

There was also a timing issue: I didn’t want to leave at the end of my contract (in June 2023) while I was free, by not allowing the club to raise money. It was quite a complicated situation.

Everyone has mistakes, the club and me. Wanting to extend a player from your gym with an offer later than September, in his senior year, was a mistake at this level. I must have done it too, probably even. Unfortunately we got to a point where I had to leave. It didn’t turn out as I had hoped. I wish people understood my choices, to avoid this criticism. That’s how it is, that’s life.

President Laurent Nicollin regretted the way it happened…

(He cuts) I also regret this ending, because I didn’t go through the right door, rather through the small one. But we don’t blame each other with Laurent.

Laurent (Nicollin) will remain my president, I will always call him “my president”

I met him again last summer in a cabin, we kissed and we were happy to see each other again. Laurent will remain my president, I will always call him “my president”.

At Wolfsburg, playing time was never up to par (3 starts in 2023). What went wrong?

I was simply not trusted. When you only have three starts in six months or more, when you don’t play two or three games in a row, it’s hard to see if the player has the potential or not. I had more than a hundred games in Ligue 1 (112 with MHSC, editor’s note) and I arrived in the Bundesliga as if I knew nothing. However, it’s a league like any other, it’s not the Premier League either. I never found a rhythm to impose on myself, and I think that no one has wanted to impose on me.

Do you feel that you have suffered from inner problems?

Considering Wolfsburg’s current situation (13th in the Bundesliga), I think there have been a lot of internal problems. The coach left (Niko Kovac replaced by Ralph Hasenhüttl, editor’s note), the sports director who I came with became president then got fired (Jörg Schmadtke, now in Liverpool, editor’s note). There was a lot of upheaval, new players with preferences in certain positions. You are no longer part of the organization, we no longer count on you, you did not bring the right person, so you are no longer in the plans.

In Germany I learned a lot about myself. I have gained maturity

Do you regret this choice?

No, because it was an experience that taught me a lot on a personal and footballing level. Wolfsburg is still a team that usually plays at the top of the table with players trained for it. Training alongside them, with physical, technical and mental demands, makes you enormous progress. Thanks to my time there, I am no longer the same player as in Montpellier, I gained a lot of experience there. And personally, being abroad, confronting another language, culture, it was difficult at first, but after a few months I learned a lot about myself. I have gained maturity.

You are loaned without a purchase option. So you are coming back to Germany next June. With a sense of revenge?

If I go back, it is to assert myself. Now there is new management, a new coach who doesn’t know me. I don’t know what their state of mind will be. I hope they will be clear with me. There will be discussion.

Nantes came when I needed it most

On 1 February 2024, you were loaned to Nantes without an option to buy. Was this opportunity a lifesaver?

It cannot be described better. Nantes came when I needed it most.

Despite a change of coach in mid-March (Antoine Kombouaré replaced Jocelyn Gourvennec), you continued with the Canaries (7 starts in 10 games)…

It is a rebirth (smile). I am happy, fulfilled, I play football, I enjoy myself even if the situation is difficult in the position. I am very grateful to this club for relaunching me.

We know your character. Do you find a trainer with Kombouaré that suits you?

He was a central defender, it is clear that it fits with my state of mind. He’s looking for men with a grin, who don’t play on their toes. It reminds me of Der Zakarian, I know they are friends, it’s funny to draw the parallel between the two today.

In fact, you played four seasons under the orders of Michel Der Zakarian. But in the end, you said in these columns in January 2022, was the dialogue “completely destroyed”. Is there a form of resentment?

It was complicated to live with when I stopped playing, of course, when there was nothing left. But these are experiences that make you grow, make you learn about yourself, how to handle such situations. There are no hard feelings against him or his staff.

Michel Der Zakarian had to make a choice, I was probably not mentally or physically ready, although we always want to play

I worked with them for almost five years, I played many matches under his orders. I remember the one against Nîmes at La Mosson (3-0, in 2018), one of the most beautiful of my career on an emotional level. I have good memories. He had to make a choice, I probably wasn’t mentally or physically ready, even though we always want to play. You need to know how to question yourself and not blame others.

During your years in Montpellier, the debate about your positioning – center or left side – constantly arose. Today, are you definitely a left back?

In Montpellier I played in all positions, right central, left, left back… I had the hat of the player who can do it all. But in the end I wasn’t working on a specific position and I wasn’t going as I should. To reach the very high level, center back would be complicated due to my size facing taller, stronger and faster attackers. So in the French youth team I played a lot on the side.

At some point we had to settle down. I made this choice from the left side. Today I am happy and proud to play there, I worked on all the weak points we saw in Montpellier because I didn’t do much. Now this is my position and it will remain so until the end of my career.

In Nantes there is also Florent Mollet as an ex-Montpellier. Do you shop at MHSC?

I watch all the Montpellier games, as if I was always there. It will always be my favorite club. With Flo, we remember Montpellier from time to time, we laugh, we remember training (laughs).

Joris (Chotard) must make a choice now. I hope he makes the right ones

In 2019, you saw Joris Chotard join the professionals. Five years later, are you surprised by the development?

I am happy for him. Joris is my friend. I’m not surprised he’s where he is. He remains the undisputed holder. He has to make a choice now. I hope he makes the right ones. And I hope that he will continue to please us on the pitch and that he will score more goals because he is not scoring enough (laughs). He only wore one but it was beautiful, it must be said (smile).

Nantes is not saved. And his schedule (Brest, Lille and then Monaco) is up. Are you playing the season at Mosson?

We know that Montpellier is a “direct competitor” although it has taken a big step towards maintaining its position. But we have four finals left, and Montpellier is one of them. It’s an exciting end to the season.

So you know this MHSC by heart. What do you say to your teammates in Nantes before the game?

No more than usual, it will be a match like any other. In my head, I’m playing against Montpellier, but once I’m on the field, it will no longer be MHSC against me. We have to go there, be 100%.

A team like any other unless you score.

(Laughs) This remark has already come to me. But of course I’m not going to celebrate. It would be strange for me, if only to score at Mosson, it would remind me of the goals I had scored at that time. Although there weren’t many (2 at Mosson, 5 in total, editor’s note). But I won’t go opposite Butte Paillade, that’s for sure (smile).