Football: Monaco’s impressive unbeaten run comes to an end in feisty Côte d’Azur derby

Embolo stretching for a ball in the Nice box during the Côte d'Azur derby

AS Monaco’s six-month unbeaten run came to an end at the hands of fierce local rivals OGC Nice in a heated Côte d’Azur derby (2-1) on Sunday.

The match hinged on one contentious decision. “11 versus 11, Monaco were clearly the best team on the pitch,” said Adi Hütter. But it didn’t stay that way.

Just seconds after Evann Guessand, against the run of play, hauled Nice back into the derby, Vanderson was sent off for a second yellow card. It began with a light push on Mohamed Al-Cho, continued with the latter reacting with a barge of his own, and ended in a mass brawl, involving most players and both benches.

Monaco’s CEO criticises refereeing decisions

Despite not being involved in the scrap, it cost Vanderson, who was shown a second yellow and a red. “He likes to give red cards to Monaco,” said CEO Thiago Scuro post-match, voicing his displeasure at Jérémie Pignard’s refereeing performance on the night.

It certainly felt like the turning point. For much of the first half, Monaco dominated. Marcin Bulka palmed a deflected Takumi Minamino cross onto the bar and Breel Embolo saw his tap-in disallowed by VAR for a tight offside as the Principality club knocked on the door.

Embolo did get his goal soon after, latching onto Maghnes Akliouche’s through ball and sliding his shot past Bulka. It was a just reward for the chances that had been created.

A first defeat in 6 months for Monaco

But, against the run of play, Nice hit back just before the break. Evann Guessand rose highest in the box to head Les Aiglons level. Just seconds after that Monaco went down to 10 men. “Their goal, our equaliser and the brawl (which led to the Vanderson red card), it boosted us,” said Franck Haise post-match.

It was clear that, upon the return from the dressing rooms, it would be a different game. Nice, with more space to exploit, were in the ascendancy but struggled to put away their chances.

Guessand, through one-on-one against Radoslaw Majecki, failed to add to his account, who denied the Ivory Coast international again later in the half from close range. But Les Monégasques, unbeaten in six months, still showed the ambition to take all three points.

Lamine Camara almost got the third goal of the game but his long-range effort hit the underside of the bar. It wasn’t a moment of brilliance that decided the game but a glaring error, characteristic of Monaco’s night, which was punctuated by such errors.

Brought on at half-time, Krépin Diatta played the ball back to Majecki, only his pass was dreadfully under-hit, allowing Gaëtan Laborde to steal in, and run almost the length of Monaco’s half before chipping the Polish shot-stopper.

“We had this game in our hands” – Hütter

Monaco struggled to drag themselves back into the game, despite a flurry of changes. Nice had something to protect and they protected it well to pull off the shock and secure the three points.

“The team showed it could act, could react, even with absentees,” said Haise, whose Nice side approached the Côte d’Azur derby as the underdog.

Monaco, however, suffer their first defeat of the season, and given the identity of the team that have inflicted that first defeat, it will hurt. “When you lose a derby, everyone feels disappointed. We had this game in our hands […] we did some stupid things and they completely changed the game but we win together and we lose together,” reacted Hütter.

The defeat allows Paris Saint-Germain to take a slender lead in Ligue 1. PSG are now outright leaders. Monaco remain second, three points ahead of Marseille, who were swept aside later on Sunday in Le Classique.

 

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Photo source: AS Monaco

National Council pushes for universal bank access for all Monaco residents

The National Council is proposing a change in the law that governs who can have a bank account in the Principality, with those in favour of the update arguing that it should be easier for residents and businesses to open and maintain accounts in Monaco.

At a recent meeting of the National Council, Monaco’s elected body, members addressed an all-too-common frustration experienced by non-Monegasque residents of the Principality: banks abruptly closing accounts or denying people and businesses access altogether.

Monaco’s Law 1492, introduced in 2020, established the right to a bank account, but its real-world implementation has revealed significant limitations. The Council is now seeking to resolve these issues with Bill 263, an amendment to the previous law, which was unanimously voted in on 17th October. A key provision of the bill allows customers to respond to undue delays more effectively.

“We have planned to further strengthen the deadlines applicable to banking institutions and an emergency procedure so that the person or entity that is refused the right to an account can quickly obtain justice,” stated Christine Pasquier-Ciulla, Chair of the National Council’s Legislation Commission, during the Legislative Public Session on 17th October, adding that such refusals should be justified by non-compliance with anti-money laundering laws rather than purely economic considerations.

Changes to the law

If a bank fails to respond to an account application within the legally mandated 15-day period, that silence will be treated as a refusal. This implicit denial allows applicants to immediately escalate the matter to Monaco’s Budget and Treasury Department, which will then step in and assign a bank to provide the necessary services.

The new measures are designed not only to cut down on administrative delays but also to establish a fairer system of appeals and ensure banking services are accessible to everyone. This would apply even to those who already have collective or joint accounts or those facing the sudden termination of their account by a bank.

The proposed legislation also aims to “fight against economic and social exclusion,” said Council member Nathalie Amoratti-Blanc. As she noted, some individuals have been left without a fixed banking address, which in today’s world amounts to being shut out of much of everyday life, given that “financial operations are required to be dematerialised.” She added, “Our world today is no longer conceivable without minimum access to a digital banking system.”

The Council’s Régis Bergonzi further elaborated, saying, “Indeed, more than ever, banking inclusion is part of the process of inclusion in economic and social life. Faced with the constant financialisation of the contemporary world and in times where the dematerialisation of money is increasing, holding a bank account constitutes essential support for carrying out a good number of transactions, and its absence is an additional factor of marginalisation. It can also deprive, for example, the most vulnerable of receiving social benefits, which are not exempt from electronic payment methods.”

The National Council’s recent legislative efforts mark a significant step towards addressing long-standing issues in banking accessibility. With Bill 263, a clear path will be established for individuals and businesses to challenge unjustified account denials and delays. Ultimately, this amendment aims to close certain banking loopholes, making for a more equitable financial system for all.

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Photo by Monaco Life

Upcoming sessions at the Espaces Parents: fatherhood, breastfeeding support and dummies

Over the next two months, Monaco’s Service Petite Enfance & Familles will be offering a new round of workshops for parents and their babies at the dedicated Espaces Parents space at the Foyer Sainte Dévote. On the agenda: adapting to fatherhood and embracing a new role within the family, breastfeeding support sessions with a lactation consultant, managing mealtimes, the usefulness of dummies and pacifiers, and how to balance kindness with authority.

For the past two years, the Service Petite Enfance & Familles has regularly hosted free workshops and sessions led by specialised practitioners for new Monegasque and Monaco-resident parents. These events provide local parents and their children with an opportunity to engage with a range of early childhood professionals, including psychologists, paediatric nurses, early childhood educators and psychomotor therapists, while also connecting with other families in the area. The sessions are typically held on Tuesdays between 5pm and 6.30pm and on Fridays from 12.30pm to 2pm.

The November and December programme will cover a wide variety of topics, starting on Friday 8th November with a workshop aimed at expectant and new fathers. “Becoming a Papa-rent” will explore the role of fathers within the family and their unique connection with their child.

On Tuesday 12th November, the focus will shift to selective eating. A dietitian from the Service Petite Enfance & Familles will examine strategies for restoring calm and enjoyment at mealtimes.

Later in the month, on Friday 22nd November, the theme of “The Baby Clash” – the impact of a new child on relationships – will be discussed. Experts will provide advice on preventing and managing tensions within couples.

On Tuesday 26th November, parents will be encouraged to talk about the challenges of parenting, notably how to balance kindness and authority when raising children.

In December, the programme continues with a workshop on Tuesday 3rd December that will be all about dummies – or pacifiers for US readers. An expert on the topic will discuss their pros and cons and provide tips on how to help children transition away from them.

On Tuesday 10th December, the session will address the process of starting daycare, with guidance on how to prepare children and parents for entering a daycare environment.

Finally, on Friday 20th December, there will be a session dedicated to breastfeeding, offering mothers the chance to share their experiences and receive support in the presence of Brigitte Fino, a qualified lactation consultant, and a dietitian.

In addition to these discussions, there are regular activities, including parent-child play workshops every Wednesday from 9.30am to 11am and psychomotor sessions scheduled for Thursday 28th November and Thursday 12th December from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

Baby-wearing workshops, exclusively available to families enrolled or in the process of enrolling in one of Monaco’s early childhood facilities, are held every Tuesday from 2.30pm to 4pm. Parent-baby massage workshops are held on Mondays from 9.30am to 11am.

All of these workshops will take place at Espaces Parents, which is located at the Foyer Sainte Dévote on 3 Rue Philibert Florence. They are free of charge, but prior registration is required. For more information and to register for a workshop, call +377 93 15 61 85 or email espacesparents@mairie.mc.

 

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

 

Photo source: Alexander Grey, Unsplash