Marseille

Marseille is a football (soccer) club from France.

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Olympique de Marseille (also known as l'OM, is a professional France association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, they play in Ligue 1 and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Football in France. Marseille have been French football champions eight times, and have won the Coupe de France ten times (a record) and became the first and only French club to win the UEFA Champions League in UEFA Champions League 1992–93.

Olympique de Marseille's home is the 60,031-person-capacity

History

Beginnings of Marseille

Olympique de Marseille was founded by w:fr:René Dufaure de Montmirail, a French sport official, in 1892 in football (soccer), as an omnisport club. Known as Sporting Club, US Phocéenne, and Football Club de Marseille in the first five years after its founding, Marseille adopted the name Olympique de Marseille in 1899. At first, Rugby union was the most important team sport of the club, the motto Droit au but coming from rugby. Affiliated with Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques since 1898, it was only in 1902, thanks to English and German (still according to André Gascard), that football began to be played by Olympique de Marseille. Richer and better organized than other football teams of Marseille (Sporting, Stade, Phocéenne. ..), Olympique de Marseille, playing at the Stade de l'Huveaune, took the leadership in the city. In 1904, Olympique de Marseille won the first Championnat du Littoral, opposing teams from Marseille and its suburbs, and took part in the final rounds of the eleventh French championship. At that time, the word "football" applied to rugby, and people used the word "Association" (which would be soccer in North America) for football.

During the twenties, Olympique de Marseille became an important team in France, winning the Coupe de France in 1924, 1926 and 1927. The team won the French championship in 1929, defeating Club Français. The Coupe de France in 1924 was Marseille's first major title, won against FC Sète which dominated French football at the time. In the twenties, numerous French internationals such as Jules Dewaquez, Jean Boyer (footballer) or Joseph Alcazar played for Marseille.In 1930, Marseille lost against Sète, which would be the winner, in the semi-final round. In 1931, Marseille became champion of the South-East, with victories against rivals such as Sète. In Coupe de France, l'OM lost in 5 matches to Club Français, winning the second match which was canceled due to the disqualification of the Marseille striker Vernicke. Even though the 1931-32 season was less successful, Marseille easily entered professionalism. In 1932, Marseille became a member of the union of professional clubs. On 13 January 1932 at 9:15 PM, at the Brasserie des Sports, Mr. Dard, Mr. Bison, Dr. Rollenstein, Mr. Etchepare, Mr. Leblanc, Mr. Mille, Mr. Anfosso, Mr. Sabatier, Mr. Seze, Mr. Bazat, Mr. Molteroj, and Mr. Pollack elected the following committee:

Honour Presidents: Paul Le Cesne et Fernand Bouisson
President: M. Dard
Vice-Presidents: Mr. Leblanc, Mr. Bison, Mr. Etchepare, Dr. Rollenstein et Mr. Anfosso
General Secretary: Mr. Possel-Daydier
Treasurer: Mr Bison (assisted by Mr Ribel).

For the first championship, Division 1 was divided into two pools. Marseille finished second in the first, behind Lille OSC. For its first match of the championship, Marseille defeated the future champion, Lille.

In 1937, Marseille won its first professional French championship thanks to goal average (+30 for Marseille, +17 for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard). The arrival of Vasconcellos made the defence stronger, whereas former goalkeeper Laurent Di Lorto shone with FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and France national football team. In the meantime, Marseille won the Coupe de France in 1935 and 1938 but failed a double success in 1934, due to FC Sète.

In 1938, Larbi Ben Barek signed with Marseille and became "the black pearl" for the team. World War II would cut his career short. The 1942-43 season was full of records: 100 goals in 30 matches, including 20 in one match (20-2 against Avignon), in which Aznar scored 9 goals, including the first 8 (Marseille was leading 8-0), playing only 70 minutes. Aznar scored 45 goals in 30 matches, plus 11 in cup games, for a record of 56 goals in 38 matches. With the minots (young players) of the moment (Scotti, Robin, Dard, Pironti), Marseille won the cup in two matches against FC Girondins de Bordeaux (4-0).

In 1948, thanks to a draw against FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Marseille became the champions of France. The two last victories at the Stade Vélodrome against Roubaix (6-0) and FC Metz (6-3) were important, as Aznar and Robin's returned in spring.

In 1952, Marseille was about to be relegated, but Gunnar Andersson saved his team, finishing as best scorer with 31 goals. The team won (5-3) on aggregate against US Valenciennes.The same year, Marseille lost at the Stade Vélodrome against AS Saint-Étienne 10-3, but Liberati was injured. In 1953, Gunnar Andersson would take the record of goals scored in one season with 35. Marseille was runner-up in the Coupe de France (OGC Nice won 2-1) in 1954 and the Coupe Drago in 1957 to (RC Lens which won 3-1). Marseille were struggling at the time and were relegated for the first time in 1959. From 1959 to 1965, Marseille played in the second division, except during the 1962/63 season, finishing 20th out of 20 in the first division. In 1965, Marcel Leclerc became president.

Marcel Leclerc era and crisis

The first period of Olympique de Marseille's domination of the French League started in the early 70's under Marcel Leclerc's presidency (1965-1972). His ambition allowed Marseille to return to the Ligue 1 in 1965-66. They went on to win the Coupe de France in 1969 as well as the Ligue 1 in 1971 with a record of 44 goals by Josip Skoblar, helped by Roger Magnusson. The arrival of Georges Carnus and Bernard Bosquier from AS Saint-Étienne helped them to win the Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in 1972. Marseille played in the UEFA Champions League in 1971-72 and 1972-73 but were defeated by AFC Ajax of Johan Cruijff and Juventus F.C.. However, success was not to last. Marcel Leclerc was forced to leave Marseille on 19 July 1972. The president was a stubborn man, and he threatened the whole league by threatening to withdraw his professional team from Ligue 1 because the federation refused to accept three foreign players in one team (Leclerc wanted to acquire the Hungary star Zoltán Varga (footballer) but he had already the maximum number of two foreigners in his team). But Marseille decided, instead of following Leclerc against the league, to fire him. Then followed an era of crisis with Marseille only winning a Coupe de France in 1976 and being relegated to the second division, where they played with a bunch of young local players: the Minots who allowed Marseille to return back to Ligue 1 in 1984. Éric Di Meco was one of them.

Bernard Tapie era and OM/VA bribery scandal

On 12 April 1986, Bernard Tapie became president, thanks to Marseille mayor Gaston Defferre, and promptly built the greatest team ever seen in France. His first signings were Karl-Heinz Forster and Alain Giresse, who were bought after the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Tapie signed a large number of highly regarded players over the next few years in his pursuit of the European Cup, such as Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle, Klaus Allofs, Enzo Francescoli, Abedi Pelé, Didier Deschamps, Basile Boli, Marcel Desailly, Rudi Völler and Eric Cantona as well as appointing high-profile coaches like Franz Beckenbauer, Gérard Gili and Raymond Goethals. Between 1989 and 1992, Olympique de Marseille won 4 League titles in a row and the French Cup. The highlight of Marseille's history is winning the new format UEFA Champions League in 1993. Basile Boli scored the only goal against Italy's A.C. Milan in the final held in Munich's Olympic Stadium. That triumph was the first time that a French club has won, and it made Didier Deschamps and Fabien Barthez the youngest captain and goalkeeper, respectively, to capture the title.

This, however, was followed by a decade of decline. In 1994, due to financial irregularities and a match fixing scandal involving then president Bernard Tapie, they suffered forced relegation to Ligue 2, where Marseille stayed two years before coming back to Ligue 1. Moreover, they lost their 1992-93 Division 1 title and the right to play in the UEFA Champions League 1993-94 and the Intercontinental Cup (football). This scandal, called l'affaire VA-OM (VA for Valenciennes FC and OM for Olympique de Marseille), was denounced by Valenciennes, whose players Jacques Glassmann, Jorge Burruchaga and Christophe Robert, in order to let OM win and, more importantly, not to injure any OM player ahead of the UEFA Champions League final.

Come back to success?

Marseille returned to the top flight in 1996 with backing from Adidas's owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus. He chose Rolland Courbis as coach, signed Fabrizio Ravanelli, Laurent Blanc, and Andreas Köpke, and Marseille finished 11th for his return. For the 1998-99 season, Marseille celebrated his centenary and built a team of stars: Robert Pirès, Florian Maurice, and Christophe Dugarry, culminating in a second place finish in the French soccer Division 1 1998/1999, behind FC Girondins de Bordeaux and an appearance in the UEFA Cup Final in 1999, losing to Parma F.C.. Rolland Courbis left Marseille in November 1999, after a poor start to the season. The closest Marseille to get another trophy was when they reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2004, impressively beating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Internazionale Milano F.C., Liverpool F.C., and Newcastle United F.C. along the way. But they were beaten in the final by newly-crowned Spanish champions Valencia CF and once again fans were forced to continue waiting for the next trophy to come along.

Recently, Marseille succeeded in winning the 2005 Intertoto Cup, beating the likes of S.S. Lazio and Deportivo La Coruña in doing so, and earning another shot at the UEFA Cup.

In January 2007, there was negotiation between Dreyfus and Jack Kachkar, a Canadian doctor and businessman (CEO of pharmaceutical company Inyx), about the selling of the club. As Jack Kachkar took too much time to buy the team, Robert Louis-Dreyfus decided on 22 March 2007 not to sell to the Canadian businessman.

Another close call to glory was in the French Cup final against FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in May 2007. However, they lost on penalties after a 2-2 draw after extra time, to the disappointment of everyone linked with the club, but they soon wiped all that disappointment away by qualifying for the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League group stage, after securing 2nd place with a game to go.

In the Champions League, Marseille shocked Europe by becoming the first French team to win at Anfield when they beat 2007 runners-up Liverpool F.C. 1-0, and Marseille took 6 out of 6 points from their opening two games. However, they only drew one more match, and in a winner takes all final group game they lost 4-0 to Liverpool, who became the first English team to win at the Stade Vélodrome. Marseille, coming third in the Champions League Group A, resulted in qualification for the UEFA Cup.

Marseille finished the 2008-09 season with a second place finish in Ligue 1, following a tight race with Girondins de Bordeaux for the title. This earned them a direct entry into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, their third consecutive season in the Champions League.

Stadium

From 1904 to 1937, Marseille played at the Stade de l'Huveaune. Marseille was the owner of the venue, contrary to its current stadium. L'Huveaune, a time named "Stade Fernand Buisson" in honour of a former Rugby football player of Marseille who became deputee was renovated at the beginning of the twenties, thanks to supporter's financial help. It had a capacity of . After 1937, l'OM used this venue under Marcel Leclerc's presidency in order to compel the city of Marseille to lower the rent of Stade Vélodrome and during the renovation of Stade Vélodrome for Euro 1984, during the 1982/83 season. The stadium again underwent redevelopment in time for the 1998 World Cup and was transformed into an immense ground composed of two kop ends (Virage Nord and Virage Sud - North Curve and South Curve) which house the supporters groups as well as the main stand, Jean Bouin, and the imposing Ganay stand. Today, Marseille regularly fills their impressive home, the Stade Vélodrome, which seats 60,013.

Supporters hope the municipality will cover the stadium and increase its capacity.

Before the start of each home game the song Jump by Van Halen is heard.
When a goal is scored by Marseille in their home matches the song Come with Me (Puff Daddy song) by Puff Daddy is played.

Badge

Club founder w:fr:René Dufaure de Montmirail drew inspiration from his personal Seal (impression), which featured interlaced letters "D" and "M", to create Marseille's first badge. The club's motto, "Droit au but", dates from the days when Marseille's main sport was rugby, under the name "Football Club de Marseille". The original badge featured an ornate letter "M" superimposed over an "O", with Marseille motto draped across the glyph. The logo persisted for three decades, until 1935, when an art deco shield was adopted, with a simple "M" encased within the "O". In 1972, Olympique redesigned its logo, this time preferring a kitschy aesthetic, with a complex "M" letterform. In 1986, Marseille re-adopted its first badge; the logo evolved slightly over the next few decades, gaining a star in 1993 to commemorate Marseille's UEFA Champions League trophy. To commemorate Marseille's 100th anniversary in 1999, a variant featuring a golden "O" and a turquoise "M" was used; a similar 110th anniversary logo was used during the 2009-2010 season.

The most recent form was revealed on February 17, 2004; the "O" and "M" are rendered as a single unit in turquoise without shading or borders, and the logo is capped by the golden star and sits above Marseille motto, also rendered in gold.

Image:OM 1899 1935 logo.JPG, AEK Athens F.C., and Olympique Marseille. Marseille fans often lift banners and create choreography in support of the fellow teams.

Olympique de Marseille seasons

Records

- Only French team ever to have won the Champions League/European Cup : 1993
- Most French Cup Titles: 10 (1924, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1938, 1943, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1989).
- Fewest number of goals allowed during one season : 21 goals allowed (1991-1992).
- Most away victories in one Season: 12 (1971-1972). (record shared with Saint-Etienne and Lyon).
- Most Goals during one season : Josip Skoblar, 44 league goals and European Golden Boot in 1970-1971.

Honours

Marseille's tally of eight Championships is the second highest in French football, after AS Saint-Étienne, while the total of ten Cups is the highest. Marseille have achieved two Championship and Cup "The Double" (in 1972 and 1989).
They were also the first French club to win the UEFA Champions League, in 1993.

International titles

- UEFA Champions League
- - Winners (1) : 1993 European Cup Final
- - Runners-up (1) : 1991 European Cup Final
- UEFA Cup
- - Runners-up (2) : 1999 UEFA Cup Final, 2004 UEFA Cup Final.
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- - Winners (1) : UEFA Intertoto Cup 2005

National titles
- Ligue 1/Ligue 1
- - Winners (8) : French football Division 1 1936–37, French football Division 1 1947–48, French football Division 1 1970-71, French football Division 1 1971–72, French football Division 1 1988–89, French football Division 1 1989-90, French football Division 1 1990-91, French football Division 1 1991–92
- - Runners-up (9) : French football Division 1 1937-38, French football Division 1 1938-39, French football Division 1 1969-70, French football Division 1 1974-75, French football Division 1 1986–87, Division 1 season 1993-94, Division 1 season 1998-99, Ligue 1 season 2006-07, Ligue 1 season 2008-09
- Ligue 2
- - Winners (1) : French football Division 2 1994-95
- - Runners-up (3) : French football Division 2 1965-66, French football Division 2 1983-84, French football Division 2 1995-96
- Coupe de France
- - Winners (10 - record) : Coupe de France Final 1924, Coupe de France Final 1926, Coupe de France Final 1927, Coupe de France Final 1935, Coupe de France Final 1938, Coupe de France Final 1943, Coupe de France 1968-69, Coupe de France 1971-72, Coupe de France 1975-76, Coupe de France 1988-89
- - Runners-up (8) : Coupe de France Final 1934, Coupe de France Final 1940, Coupe de France Final 1954, Coupe de France 1985-86, Coupe de France 1986-87, Coupe de France 1990-91, Coupe de France 2005-06, Coupe de France 2006-07.
- Trophée des champions
- - Winners (1) : 1971
- - Runners-up (2) : 1969, 1972
- Coupe Charles Drago
- - Winners (1) : 1957
- French football champions
- - Winners (1) : 1929
- French football champions
- - Runners-up (1) : 1919

Regional titles
- South-East DH Championship
- - Winners (4) : 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931
- - Runners-up (4) : 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925
- Coastline USFSA Championship
- - Winners (6) : 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1919
- - Runners-up (6) : 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914

Reserve titles
- Championnat de France Amateurs
- - Winners (1) : 2002

- South-East DH Championship
- - Winners (2) : 1958, 1966
- - Runners-up (1) : 1962

- Coastline USFSA Championship 3
- - Winners (1) : 1910

- Coastline USFSA Championship 4
- - Winners (1) : 1910

Youth titles
- Coupe Gambardella
- - Winners (1) : 1979

- French Under 16 championship
- - Winners (3) : 1979, 2008, 2009

Players

As of 4 July 2009.

Out on loan

Notable players
Ballon d'Or
The following players have won the Ballon d'Or whilst playing for Olympique de Marseille:
- Jean-Pierre Papin – 1991

George Weah, Ballon d'or 1995, also played for Marseille at the end of his career in 2000/2001.

European Golden Shoe
The following players have won the European Golden Shoe whilst playing for Olympique de Marseille:
- Josip Skoblar (44 goals) – 1971

Other players
- Rudi Völler
- Karl-Heinz Förster
- Jair Ventura Filho
- Carlos Mozer
- Enzo Francescoli
- Fabrizio Ravanelli
- Fabien Barthez
- Joseph-Antoine Bell
- Marcel Desailly
- Didier Deschamps
- Klaus Allofs
- Alen Boksic
- Igor Ivanovitch Dobrovolski
- Chris Waddle
- Trevor Steven
- Didier Drogba
- Bixente Lizarazu
- Franck Leboeuf
- Laurent Blanc
- Christophe Dugarry
- Robert Pirès
- Sonny Anderson
- Paolo Futre
- Gil Rui Barros
- Andreas Kopke
- Abedi Pelé
- Manuel Amoros
- Marius Trésor
- Paulo César Lima
- Alain Giresse
- Jean Tigana
- Tony Cascarino
- Eric Cantona
- Basile Boli
- Franck Sauzée
- Dragan Stojković
- Jocelyn Angloma
- Yordan Letchkov
- Claude Makélélé
- Mathieu Flamini
- William Gallas
- Samir Nasri
- Franck Ribéry

Notable managers and chairmen
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Managers
- Mario Zatelli
- Lucien Leduc
- Raymond Goethals
- Rolland Courbis
- Abel Braga
- Tomislav Ivić
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Javier Clemente
- Eric Gerets
- Didier Deschamps

Chairmen
- Marcel Leclerc
- Bernard Tapie

Reserve Squad

Footnotes

Related pages

AJ Auxerre, Bordeaux, Caen, FC Nantes, FC Sochaux, Grenoble, Le Havre, Le Mans, Lille OSC, Lorient, Lyon, Marseille, Monaco, Nancy, Nice, Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes, Saint-Etienne, Toulouse FC, Valenciennes