OGC Nice's eagle mascot, Mefi, and her trainer were drenched by an errant sprinkler during the pre-match ceremony ahead of the club's fixture against Roma, according to 90min.
The incident occurred as Mefi was being put through her usual display on the pitch, the kind of raptor-and-handler show that has become a fixture of Nice's matchday presentation at the Allianz Riviera. The sprinkler activated at an inopportune moment, catching both bird and trainer squarely.
Mefi is a well-established presence in Nice's matchday ritual. Eagles and other birds of prey have long been used by European clubs as living mascots, paraded before kick-off as a point of pageantry and local identity. Nice have leaned into the tradition with particular commitment, and Mefi has become recognisable to supporters at the Allianz Riviera over the years.
Whether the irrigation system was on a timer or malfunctioned is not clear from the available account. What is clear is that neither Mefi nor her trainer was afforded any warning. The eagle, by all indications, was unharmed.
The Roma fixture itself — part of Nice's European campaign — gave the Côte d'Azur club a significant backdrop against which this minor chaos played out. It is unlikely to be the detail either side reflected on most when the evening was done, though it may prove the more enduring image.