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Olympique de Marseille
Background:
As one of the oldest cities in France, Marseille was founded by the Phoenicians and has remained one of the more diverse cities since then. The club was founded in 1899 and the name 'Olympique de Marseille' commemorates Marseille's founding by the ancient Greeks with the name 'Olympic' being derived from the Olympic games and the colours of OM being derived from the Greek flag. With many immigrants entering Marseille throughout the past centuries, it is easy to understand the widespread popularity Marseille enjoys outside of the Provence. However, the club is heavily despised in the North where they hold a long-standing rivalry with their northern neighbours, Paris St. Germain. As with many derbies, it is more than just the North vs South, but also one of class divide with the Parisians being seen as the 'upper class' and Marseille the 'working class'. The match draws widespread attention each season and is hotly contested between the two sides as people prioritize a victory in 'le classique' as much as winning the title.
Golden Age:
It is without a doubt that the late 1980s and the early 1990s were the most successful years for the club. Although ironically, after 1993 would be the worst years for the club as they suffered a penalty for alleged match fixing in the last match of the season against Valenciennes. The club was stripped of their 1993 Championship title and had to play in Ligue 2 as they faced financial difficulties. Marseille would have to wait 17 years before they would lift another piece of silverware again.
OM's success began with controversial businessman Bernard Tapie becoming club President in 1986. He signed a series of players to build a star-studded team in an attempt to achieve Europe's most revered trophy. He began by signing highly rated centre-back Karl-Heinze Forster and Frenchman Alain Giresse immediately after the World Cup. He continued by adding the likes of Papin (future Ballon d'Or winner), Enzo Francescoli (Zidane's favourite player), Abedi Pele (one of Africa's greats), Basile Boli, Deschamps, Cantona and many more. During Tapie's reign, the club was able to win four consecutive titles and the Champions League. Boli scored the only goal from a corner and sent Marseille into the historybooks as they recorded a 1-0 win against A.C Milan in Munich and became the first ever French team to lift a European title.
Notable Players:
Barthez
Papin
Deschamps
Abedi Pele
Drogba
Recent:
The past decade has been a series of misplaced faith in the club as they try to re-establish their reputation as a dominant force in France. Perhaps most disappointing was the 1998 season when Marseille were tipped by many to win the Championship as they build a steady lead at the head of the table. It was not to be as a series of disappointing performances saw them lose out to Bordeaux. OM faced further heartbreak as they lost the UEFA Cup final to Parma by a score of 3-0. Marseille would get another shot at the cup when they were led by fan favourite Didier Drogba past the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle and Inter to face Valencia C.F in the final. The cup would elude them once again as they suffered a 2-0 defeat. Les Marseillais were frustrated at the lack of silverware despite the opportunities, and they would become even more incensed when the club sold top goal scorer (32) Didier Drogba to Chelsea. Marseille would also reach 2 Coupe de France finals in a row in 2006 and 2007 but lost out to PSG and Sochaux respectively. Emon was eventually sacked as the club languished in the bottom half of the table and replaced with the Belgian Erik Gerets.
Things seemed hopeless, and a chance to continue in the Champions League seemed hopeless as Gerets' first match would be against the mighty Liverpool at Anfield. Gerets guaranteed victory to the fans as the media went into a frenzy days leading into the match, most thought he was mad! The travelling Marseillais would witness history as OM became the first French team to record a victory at Anfield thanks to a beauty of a goal from Mathieu Valbuena. It sent the city into jubilation as no one expected such a result. The club would eventually crash out of the CL in the group stages as Liverpool inflicted a 4-0 defeat at the Velodrome. The squad clearly lacked the depth to compete in multiple competitions but Gerets would eventually lead OM to a CL spot at the end of the season by placing his trust in mercurial midfielder Valbuena and benching newly acquired mouthy hotshot Hatem Ben arfa.
Despite Gerets' ambition and skill as a coach, he decided to leave the South of France after Dreyfus refused to offer him a contract extension. Dreyfus was frustrated by the lack of silverware despite his heavy investment in the club. He hired former captain Didier Deschamps as coach and gave him total control in terms of choosing his players. OM made a club record signing by purchasing Lucho from Porto and proved their intent on the title. After a slow start to the season in which many pundits tipped Bordeaux to yet again win the title, OM began their ascent to the top as the team became more cohesive as the season wore on. Niang finished as the top scorer as OM won their first piece of silverware in 17 years. Deschamps lifted the Championship as former captain and now current coach, things are well again.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mandanda, Riou, Andrade
Defenders: Azpilicueta, Taiwo, Rodriguez, Hilton, Heinze, Diawara, D'Ulivo, Manga
Midfielders: Cisse, Cheyrou, Lucho, Kabore, N'Diaye, M'bia, Abriel, M'bow, Valbuena, N'Doumbou, Osei
Forwards: Brandao, Remy, J. Ayew, A. Ayew, Gignac
