Olympique de Marseille

Marseille

Tapie and Gotheals dodged an extended stretch in durance vile for an even greater crime than match fixing during their reign in charge of Marseille: they plundered the plumpest ships docked in the port of Marseille to appropriate some of the finest footballing cargo in the early nineties.

But we’re grateful for it – or at least I am – for they were such a beautiful team and, forgetting the fiasco with the francs for a moment, they deserved to be in the final on the basis of their beauty alone.

And nobody was more beautiful than Basile Boli. Sure, Voller et al. walked the walk at the Velodrome but Basile’s demeanour and presence was so dazzling that he outshone his more talented teammates.

I was fortunate to watch them live the season they won the Champions League and they were mesmerising. They are the best team I’ve seen live.

Here’s who I remember

Barthez (with hair…I think?)

Angloma
Desailly
Boli
Sauzee
Di Meco

Deschamps
Eyedelie
Pele

Boksic
Voller

It’s a fertile place for future footballer to thrive:

Jean Pierre Papin
Enzo Francescoli
Stojkovic
Blanc
Gallas
Sonny Anderson
Tony Cascarino

And lots more I can’t recall…

Stade Velodrome is such a beautiful stadium too.

Here’s who I remember

Barthez (with hair…I think?)

Angloma
Desailly
Boli
Sauzee
Di Meco

Deschamps
Eyedelie
Pele

Boksic
Voller

It’s a fertile place for future footballer to thrive:

Jean Pierre Papin
Enzo Francescoli
Stojkovic
Blanc
Gallas
Sonny Anderson
Tony Cascarino


They were a very very good at this time, but unfortunately they were relegated and had to sell all their best players, mainly to italy.

You can add Boghossian (who won the world cup in 1998) to this 1993 list .
I actually went to see this team play in 1992 in Cannes while I was on holiday over there, they were a joy to watch.
So at this time they could attract very good players, now it seems abit more difficult. They want to have a 80 000 staduim in the soon future. That may help them bring some good players

Some other famous players you forgot to mention are:
Dugarry
Mozer
Alain Giresse
Makelele
Pires
Drogba
Joseph-Antoine Bell
Fabrizio Ravanelli
Klaus Allofs
George Weah
Jean Tigana
Éric Cantona

and ... Chris Waddle

So lots of famous players who did fortune a bit everywhere in Europe.

I they hadn't been relegated and if they had kept their team I'm pretty sure they would be very competitive nowdays

is it the first official Olympique de Marseille thread ?

Alive and Kicking wrote:

They were a very very good at this time, but unfortunately they were relegated and had to sell all their best players, mainly to italy.

You can add Boghossian (who won the world cup in 1998) to this 1993 list .
I actually went to see this team play in 1992 in Cannes while I was on holiday over there, they were a joy to watch.

They want to have a 80 000 staduim in the soon future. That may help them bring some good players

Yeah, lots of great players I couldn't remember.

Was Papin still playing for them whe you went to see them against Cannes? Didn’t Cannes have Zidane, Micoud and Vieira in 92? Did they play Zidane as a left wing-back initially?

Anyway, I’m sure that even if they did have such soon-to-be-imperious players in their team, Marseille, and Pele, Papin and Voller in particular, hammered them silly…or not!

80,000 at the Velodrome would make it even more intimidating, I imagine.

No he wasn't actually. I think it wasn't in 1992, but in 1993. I remember Voller and Boksik. Whereas to know if Zidane played as well I really don't have a clue since he wasn't famous at that time nore did I have some really good knowledge about football at his age.

adebi pele?

Crouching Punty wrote:adebi pele?

Yeah, it Abedi Pele and he was such a beautiful footballer.

Think the guile and graciousness of John Hartson, the explosive power and swiftness of Tom Huddlestone, the energy and frenetic hurriedness of Juan Roman Riquelme, the clinical and predatory nature of Jonathan Stead, the build and athletic physique of Crouch and, well, you ain’t thinking of old Abedi!

He was an astounding footballer, though. Very elegant and refined, he often scored brilliant goals.