From provincial France to Arsenal, the crazy story of Nicolas Jover

In 2021, he was crowned champion, lifted the League Cup and played in a Champions League final with Manchester City. Although he has since become a star for Premier League directors, Nicolas Jover was at the time just an anonymous member of City's plethora of staff. Now, he is the one the cameras film when he gets up from the Arsenal bench at every corner or free kick, gesticulating alongside Mikel Arteta. The one for whom a fresco has just been created by admirers around the Emirates Stadium. A consecration that is hard to imagine when he failed the "BE" (state diploma) selection tests. So how did this 43-year-old from Hérault climb the ranks to become an international reference in the field of set pieces and throw-ins? To tell this story, we must begin with a mea culpa. In February 2009, we did not follow up on an article proposal from this young 26-year-old educator, holder of the Senior Coach title and in charge of the U18 provincial team of FC Sète... Let's just say that the theme seemed a bit out of touch at the time: "video analysis in amateur clubs." It was in reality totally innovative and audacious. Two qualities that characterize Nicolas Jover and will ultimately take him much further than agreeing to an article or a portrait in our columns.

Having failed the "BE" selection tests, he left for Quebec in order to make a living from his passion

And for good reason, six months after he contacted us, this former amateur player at RCO Agde signed with Montpellier (L1), in René Girard's staff. More than a promotion, it is the story of his incredible thirst for success that resonates back to us. Judge for yourself. Forced in the past to take multiple, less significant jobs to accommodate his exile to Quebec in order to obtain his diplomas and finally be able to live from his passion, the young man had more than enough experience there. "Thanks to the reputation of our training, being French also gave me a positive standing there" At only 23 years old, he was appointed technical director of Sherbrooke Dynamic! His destiny changed. "I saw video and stats being used in university sports, including in training. This would soon be the case here, I was convinced. So I worked hard on this specialized area." His goal was ambitious: to return to France through the front door, to a professional club. Unfortunately, the role of analyst was not yet widespread there and all his applications fell on dead ears, except at AS Saint Etienne where Damien Comolli (now president of Toulouse FC) was interested, but could not offer him anything. So our man was content to return to the country through the side-door instead, getting his hands dirty at FC Sète and looking for the spotlight via the specialist media... until he caught the eye of Pascal Baills, assistant at Montpellier. Nicolas Jover finally had his first job. The start of an incredible rise.

"Living in London is expensive and my salary at Brentford didn't allow me to get by at first. With my wife and two daughters, our lodgings were very limited"

For seven years - including a stint at the 2014 World Cup with Niko Kovacs (Croatia) through the management of Sportscode software who wanted to develop their solution in Eastern Europe - the technician sharpened his blade. "I had started studying set pieces and I felt that the results of my initial work were generating interest..." This is how his life changed again, this time from an invitation a private conference. The owners of Brentford FC (then English D2), were looking to develop what are still called "marginal gains", and were convinced by this cheeky and avant-garde young Frenchman. "It was the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to get out of my analyst's office and get back on the pitch and put several years of research into practice." Under the leadership of Dean Smith (current coach of Charlotte FC), Nicolas Jover had a blast. But life in London was too difficult. "I went there with my wife and my two daughters aged 2 and 4, going from a comfortable permanent contract in Montpellier to a 6-month trial period in Brendford with one week's notice... the risk was enormous! Especially since life in London is expensive and my salary in Brentford doesn't allow me to get by. Our lodgings were very limited". On the verge of throwing in the towel, the Frenchman finally saw his lease renewed and on better terms. His experience ultimately lasted three years and proved positive.

"My first meeting with Guardiola's staff? They grilled me..."

But he wants to climb higher. He then gets in touch with Mikel Arteta, assistant at Manchester City, having heard of his enquiries to hire a set piece specialist. The meeting lasts 4 hours. It is love at first sight professionally. Invited in the process to meet the technical director, Txiki Begiristain, Nicolas Jover is propelled into a meeting in front of the entire staff joined by Pep Guardiola. "I went there without any complexes. Well, the guys grilled me! (laughs). But I didn't let it get me down." It was a conclusive crash test! It's June 2019 and the Frenchman has just changed dimension. "I had to adapt because the team was playing every three days, I went from one extreme to the other! It's not easy to have 4 set piece sessions per week, nor to have only 1 per month..." Less present on the pitch, Nicolas Jover's loss of influence then increased with Arteta's departure for Arsenal. Although the statistics speak for themselves, the end of the adventure seemed inevitable to him. But no worries, this time! Having spent two seasons in the staff of the former Barça coach is the best of pedigrees. "I had a lot of offers including one in France (at Monaco, then coached by Kovacs, editor's note) but when Mikel asked me to join him at Arsenal where a role was freeing up, I didn't hesitate for a second".

From the Hérault provincial youth championships to the Premier League in ten years

With the Basque, the Frenchman finds more scope and influence. "In my role, to be able to express myself, I need to be with a coach who trusts me. This is the case with Mikel." A coach he admires: "In his first role as number one, what he is doing here with such a young squad, providing a vision, values ​​and hope to an entire club, is not a given to everyone." Like going from the Hérault provincial youth championships to the Premier League in ten years.

Enzo Donis: "More than revolutionized, Nicolas created this position"

The former assistant coach of AS Vita Club (Democratic Republic of Congo) and specialist in set pieces worked alongside Nicolas Jover during a video analyst internship in Montpellier in 2015. "At the time, he had created a model that made it possible to group together different collective but also very individualized data on players and in particular the set pieces". Already... Interview.

How do you become a set piece specialist? 

After experiences as first assistant in the third division in Spain and France, I noticed that my teams had very little success from set pieces. So I started from a blank sheet and implemented a methodology for several months to progress in this area. I then implemented it at AS Vita Club and we went from 0 to 31% of goals from set pieces and won the Congo Cup.

Can you give some details of this method?

It is based on three complementary areas: analysis (of the strengths and weaknesses of our players), match strategy (the game plan of the coach and the opponent) and training, with the aim of recreating the conditions of the match. How? For example, for the dissociated phases of training, I will put in place constraints and reflections so that the player's brain thinks that we are in a match. We work on cognitive aspects to create mental and physical routines.

Has Nicolas Jover revolutionized the place given to set piecess amongst coaching staff?

More than revolutionized, he created this position which is becoming increasingly important. In England, a large majority of clubs now have a dedicated specialist, whether it is a "set-pieces coach" (assistant coach) or a "set-pieces analyst" (analyst who acts as a link between the assistant in charge of set pieces and the technical side). This role will become more important because beyond the trend, it brings results.

How can Arsenal’s success in this area be explained? 

It comes first and foremost from a philosophy and an open-mindedness on the part of Mikel Arteta, his head coach. The trust and the place he gives to set pieces is the basis. The rest? It’s a lot of work creating and optimizing combinations by taking into account criteria such as the analysis of the opponent. In this, Nicolas Jover and Arsenal excel.

64 goals and a mural

During the 2020/2021 season that preceded the arrival of Nicolas Jover from Manchester City, Arsenal had only scored... 5 goals from set pieces. And since the Frenchman joined Mikel Arteta's staff? 64! That's almost a quarter of London's goals in the Premier League over the period. Arsenal has established itself as the best team in England on attacking set pieces and during the 2023/2024 season, the Gunners scored 32 goals (including 16 from corners), beating a twenty year record. This is well worth the mural, unveiled near the Emirates Stadium on December 11, 2024, which depicts Nicolas Jover, next to a corner. Nothing remains normal.