At the Vélodrome stadium,
No Gennaro, you are neither “an angel or a saint”, and like you, we want to see more often these beautiful images of communion between supporters of two football teams. Like those offered to us by those of Olympique de Marseille and AEK Athens during Marseille’s victory on Thursday at the Vélodrome stadium, for the third day of the Europa League (3-1).
With from Tuesday, a joint painting in tribute to Michalis Katsouris, this 29-year-old supporter of AEK Athens, killed last August by those of Dinamo Zagreb. Then Wednesday with a giant aperitif in the Old Port. Before continuing on this match day at the Commando Ultra 84 premises in the company of the Original 21, the two groups of supporters at the origin of the 30-year friendship which links the two clubs. To finish on a procession to the Vélodrome stadium, behind a common tarpaulin.
“It would be nice to see more often what we saw this evening”
The show continued inside the Marseille volcano with a magnificent tifo shared by CU84 and Original 21 as the players entered the pitch. With two supporters in the back, each dressed in their colors, blue and white on one side, and black and yellow on the other, above the names of the two groups. Gorgeous.
“On the atmosphere, even if people say that I act like an angel or a saint, I tell myself that in the world we live in, it would be nice to see more often what we saw this evening . Every day we talk about war, I would like to see more fraternity like we saw today. There should be more of them for cohesion,” underlined Gennaro Gattuso at a press conference.
The party continued throughout the match, with a special mention to the Greek supporters, certainly closer to the press box than the Marseille corners, and who never stopped singing.
Greek gifts
And it was not only in the stands that the two clubs gave each other gifts, on the pitch too. Like the goalkeeper Stankovic, and who had his cap full. With the first offering, a pass directly to Vitinha while the attacker had intelligently put himself on the trajectory between the goalkeeper and the defender. And a second, by cheerfully mowing down the Portuguese attacker with his arm, in the area. Result, a penalty served on a plate, transformed by Harit (60th), and a red card as the icing on the cake.
“At this moment when we are not doing well, we must force the opponent’s mistakes. Vitinha had a great match, he got the penalty, it was very important,” recalled Leo Balerdi, “only” warned Thursday evening. Because OM had, as too often this season, wasted their lead in the score offered by the Portuguese striker (27th) by conceding a goal just after returning from the locker room. On the only occasion, or almost, for the Greeks (53rd).
“A hello to AEK supporters”
But Vitinha proved his coach right to start him for the first time. “I am happy with Vitinha’s match, but also with the other players. I’ve already said it, he could have done more, but I also could have given him more playing time. He knows what I think of him, I want to see him with a smile. We have a lot of important meetings, so I am happy with his performance,” encouraged the Italian coach.
And it was ultimately yet another Greek gift that sealed the victory of his men. With a regular cutting of Lodi by the specialist of the genre Nordin Amrabat, after a control of the Brazilian’s chest in the area. A penalty this time transformed by Jordan Veretout (69th). A first victory for Olympique de Marseille this season celebrated by the south and north turns, but also greeted by the Greek supporters during the OM players’ lap of honor. “We saw an image that we liked at the end of the match. Ultimately, it represents football. It always warms the heart to see this kind of image, we also say hello to the AEK supporters,” said Geoffrey Kondogbia, in the mixed zone.
An evening which is good for morale, and which allows Olympique de Marseille to take sole lead of Group B at the end of the first legs, after the defeat of Ajax at Brighton (2-0). But be careful because on Sunday (8:45 p.m.) for “Olympico” against OL at home, there will be no question of gifts at all.