"Sometimes I'm a pain": why Jonathan Clauss feels more liberated without the armband at Nice

Clauss relinquished the captaincy to Axel Witsel after taking it from departing Dante, saying the decision benefits the whole club.

Jonathan Clauss has voluntarily handed over the captain's armband to Axel Witsel after initially inheriting it from retiring captain Dante at the start of the season. The French right-back, who has 14 international caps, acknowledged that the experienced Belgian midfielder deserved the role. Clauss stated he remains fully committed to Nice regardless of the captaincy, and the team has since won two consecutive matches under Witsel's leadership, including a 2-1 victory over Strasbourg where Clauss scored the winning goal.