The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Marseille

  • Champions League: Marseille fans  rally behind Inter before PSG’s final

    Champions League: Marseille fans  rally behind Inter before PSG’s final

    In Marseille, the only French city with a European Cup to its name, an unexpected fashion trend has emerged – Inter Milan jerseys are flying off the shelves as Olympique de Marseille supporters back the Italian side against their bitter rivals Paris St Germain in Saturday’s Champions League final.

    Inter shirts have been selling fast in the port city, which celebrated OM’s Champions League triumph in 1993.

    “It’s crazy, everyone wants the Inter jersey. All year long, there’s no demand, nobody wants this jersey. And now, it’s like the whole city of Marseille has turned Interista. We’re really going to pray for Inter to win,” Ismael, a vendor at a major sports shop in Marseille, told French TV channel BFM.

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    The son of former OM president Bernard Tapie, who led the club to the 1993 title, said he would support Inter as well.

    “A true OM supporter can’t be happy if PSG wins the Champions League. For France, it would be good for PSG to win it. But me, I’m supporting Inter Milan. Ask any real OM fan — we’re all fully behind Inter,” Laurent Tapie was quoted as saying by French media.

    In 2020, OM fans celebrated at the Old Port when PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

    French clubs have played in seven European Cup finals, losing six of them between Stade de Reims (2), PSG, St Etienne, Monaco and Marseille.

  • Mario Balotelli set for Mega euro move to Brescia Calcio

     

    Mario Balotelli is on the verge of sealing multi-million euros contract with Italia Seria A side Brescia.

    Fillers from the Italian capital indicate that it would be a matter of hours before the deal is officially announced. The deal it was further gathered should have come earlier but for insistence of Club President Massimo Cellino that the deal should not be announced earlier than August 18

    SuperMario’s contract will be for three years, but broken down in a certain way. The club’s permanence in Serie A will play a decisive role in him staying long term. In fact, if they are relegated after this season Balotelli could break free.

    Zooms past a challenger on one of his outings for Marseille

    His contract will see him get paid 3 million euros gross in his first season, and in the event of salvation he will be paid another 3 million (still gross) for the second season. At that point a two year contract would kick in, where Mario can earn 6 million gross in the 3rd season, which would be about 4.5 million net.

    “The why always me” exponent who has played for Manchester City, Liverpool and Inter and AC  Milan among other clubs, joined current club Marseille early this year after terminating his contract with Nice.

    He has so far netted 8 goals for the side in 12 appearances.

     

     

  • UEFA hand Evra one-match ban for fan lash out

    UEFA hand Evra one-match ban for fan lash out

     

    Patrice Evra has been given an initial one-match ban and the Marseille defender will face a UEFA hearing after his altercation with a fan before Thursday’s Europa League match with Vitoria Guimaraes.

    Marseille have already launched an internal investigation into the incident, which saw Evra red carded before kick-off after he appeared to kick a supporter.

    Marseille lost the game in Portugal 1-0 and Evra, who was named among the substitutes by boss Rudi Garcia, will miss his side’s trip to Konyaspor later this month.

    In a statement issued on Friday, UEFA confirmed further punishment could be in the offing, with its Control Ethics and Disciplinary Body set to review the incident next week.

    The statement read: “Patrice Evra – red card for violent conduct – Art. 15 (1) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.

    “Following his dismissal, the player is suspended for at least one match. The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will decide on this case at its next meeting on 10 November.”

    Defeat at Vitoria left Marseille second in Group I behind Red Bull Salzburg.

    A statement released by Marseille after the game read: “Olympique de Marseille has noted the altercation between an individual and Patrice Evra in the warm-up of players during the match against Guimaraes.

    “An internal investigation was carried out to establish all responsible.

    “In any case, a professional player must keep his cool in the face of provocations and insults as hard and unjustified as they are.

    “Similarly, the club can only condemn, by definition, any destructive behaviour by a ‘pseudo supporter’ who insults his own players when everyone must instead support his team.”

    Evra has made 10 appearances in all competitions this season, while the 36-year-old has featured in four of Marseille’s 11 Ligue 1 fixtures so far.

  • Payet seals £25m Marseille return

    Payet seals £25m Marseille return

     

     

     

    France international Dimitri Payet has completed a £25million move back to Marseille from West Ham.

    Payet returns to Ligue 1 side Marseille on a four-and-a-half-year contract after the two clubs agreed a fee on Sunday.

    The 29-year-old playmaker will be officially presented alongside Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud and sports director Andoni Zubizarreta on Monday.

    Payet joined the Premier League club from Marseille in 2015 and starred in his first season in England, earning a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad where he scored three goals in a run to the final.

    Despite signing a bumper five-year deal in February last year, Payet became unsettled with West Ham struggling for form this term and an exit had been on the cards ever since manager Slaven Bilic revealed the Frenchman did not want to play for the club midway through January.

    In total, Payet netted 18 goals in 66 appearances for West Ham.

    He scored 15 times in 83 outings in all competitions during his first spell at Marseille, staying at Stade Velodrome for two seasons after leaving Lille.

    It has been a period of change for Marseille since American tycoon and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt purchased the club.

    Ex-Roma head coach Rudi Garcia replaced interim boss Franck Passi and France international Patrice Evra arrived from Italian champions Juventus, with Marseille sixth in Ligue 1 after 22 rounds.

  • West Ham not happy with Payet’s Marseille move

    West Ham not happy with Payet’s Marseille move

    West Ham joint-chairman, David Sullivan has expressed his disappointment at Dimitiri Payet’s decision to force the club  to sell him off.

    Sullivian stated : ‘The club would like to place on record its sincere disappointment that Dimitri Payet
    did not show the same commitment and respect to West Ham United that the club and fans showed
    him, particularly when it rewarded him with a lucrative new five-and-half-year deal only last
    year.
    ‘I would like to make it clear that we have no financial need to sell our best players and that
    the decision to allow Payet to leave was in accordance with the wishes of the manager and the
    interests of squad unity.

    To be frank, my Board and I would have preferred for him to have
    stayed in order to make an example of him, as no player is bigger than the club.
    ‘I am confident that with the quality of the players we have brought in during January already,
    the squad will be stronger at the end of this transfer window than it was at the start.
    Dimitri Payet has completed his £25million return to former club Marseille after forcing his
    way out of West Ham.

  • LFP sets date for Balotelli abuse verdict

    LFP sets date for Balotelli abuse verdict

     

     

    The French Football League (LFP) will announce in mid-February its ruling on whether Bastia are to be punished for some of their fans allegedly racially abusing Mario Balotelli.

    Balotelli has said he was the subject of racial insults during Nice’s 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at Bastia a week ago with some of the crowd in Corsica making monkey noises at the Italy international.

    The LFP promised action, and at its first meeting since the incidents the body’s Disciplinary Commission decided on Thursday to look deeper into the matter before delivering a verdict on Feb. 23.

    On Thursday, Bastia handed a stadium ban to a supporter after he made himself known.

     

    In another case, the Commission decided to close the East Stand of Bastia’s Stade Armand-Cesari for two games following the use of several flares during the club’s league game with Marseille on Dec. 21.

  • Deschamps leaves Marseille

    Deschamps leaves Marseille

    Ligue 1 side Marseille have announced that coach Didier Deschamps has left the club by mutual agreement.

    The 43-year-old’s future at Marseille had been uncertain with reports claiming he wanted to leave the club he had once captained after three years in charge.

    There was further speculation after Laurent Blanc stepped down as France boss on Saturday, with his former Les Bleus team-mate instantly linked with succeeding him in the role.

    On Monday the club finally put to an end such rumours by releasing a statement on their official website which reveals Deschamps’ future had been unclear for some time.

    It read: “Didier Deschamps was received on May 23 by club officials to prepare for the 2012-2013 season.

    “Didier Deschamps stated his desire to leave OM and the terms of his departure were considered.

    “In the days that followed, Mr Didier Deschamps repeatedly confirmed that he was and remained the coach of OM.

    “Olympique de Marseille and Didier Deschamps have finally decided by mutual agreement not to continue working for the 2012-2013 season.

    “Olympique de Marseille thank Didier Deschamps for his work for the team for three years and wish him good luck for the future.

    “Didier Deschamps thanks Olympique de Marseille for their support throughout these last three seasons.”

    Deschamps took over as Marseille boss in the summer of 2009 and in his first season in charge led them to the Ligue 1 title as well as the Coupe de la Ligue.

    They were runners-up the following year to Lille, although they retained the Coupe de la Ligue.

    However, last season was poor for the club who at one point endured a 14-match winless streak and they finished in 10th place although another successful cup defence saw them qualify for the Europa League.