Nice defender Malang Sarr has dedicated his winning goal against Rennes to the victims of the terrorist attack on the city on July 14.
Sarr, 17, headed home on his Ligue 1 debut as Nice beat Rennes 1-0 on the opening weekend of the new French league season.
Before the game supporters in the Allianz Riviera paid a moving tribute to the 85 people who lost their lives in the Bastille Day attack.
During the match the Nice players also wore special jerseys, which featured a heart on the front forming out of the names of the victims.
"It's a nice tribute to the victims," Sarr said after the game. "It was very important for us. I dedicate this goal to them."
Rennes manager Christian Gourcuff also said the tributes on the day were important.
"It puts football into perspective," he said. "It was good to do it and the best way to pay homage was to play afterwards, which we tried hard to do."
Déroulé de l'émouvant cérémonial prévu #OGCNSRFC
▶️ https://t.co/s7yXhJNRsE pic.twitter.com/LVBN6znyVc
- OGC Nice (@ogcnice) August 14, 2016
New Nice manager Lucien Favre was pleased to see Sarr get the goal, having been impressed by a five-minute clip of him playing for their under-19 team.
But the former Borussia Monchengladbach coach warned that the France under-17 international still had a long road ahead of him.
"It's pretty good all the same what he's done at 17, isn't it?" Favre said. "This evening he scored a goal -- it's the icing on the cake.
"He has potential for progression but there's physical, technical and mental work to be done too.
"Beyond that, there are those who make it and those who don't. You never know what can happen so please don't talk too much about him."
