At the Velodrome stadium,
A bronca to end the season at the Vélodrome, while the anthem of the Champions League resounded in Bollaert, the evening of the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the victory in the European Cup. All the ingredients were there on Saturday evening for the Olympique de Marseille evening to be perfect, a tour of the 1993 star stadium, a magnificent tifo offered by the Marseille supporters to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the title of European champion in a stadium once again sold out, for a last home match against Brest, which had already ensured its maintenance last week. And even the mayor, Benoît Payan, with the role of Capo at the South Winners.
However, the Marseillais managed to lose 2 goals to 1 against Brest, while Lens won 3 goals to 0 against Ajaccio, a defeat synonymous with 3rd place in Ligue 1 for OM, and direct qualification for the next League. champions of the Bloods and Gold. Against a preliminary round, in August, for the men of Tudor.
OM definitely have the gift of ruining everything this season
Despite the magnificent entertainment throughout the stadium, with Depé and the cup with the big ears in the north bend, Boli with the same cup in the Ganay stand, and the squad of 93 with the European Cup in the south bend, the Marseillais delivered a soporific first half. What about the second, during which the men of Tudor managed the feat of being even worse than before the break, to the point of conceding a goal by the native of Marseilles, Hugo Magnetti (57th)?
We first thought of yet another booster shot, as too often this season at the Stade Vélodrome, when Chancel Mbemba caught up with a headbutt from a corner (75th). But the martégal Madhi Camara confirmed what we sensed a few minutes later from a corner (81st): OM have definitely had the gift of ruining everything this season.
“We weren’t even able to do that”
“We have no explanations to give except that we were not up to it tonight, as often this season at home. It’s not normal, the supporters have been perfect all season. With what was at stake, it was at least to offer them this victory so that the party would be even more beautiful because they set fire to the whole city. We weren’t even able to do that. What do you want me to tell you? “, dropped completely disillusioned Valentin Rongier in the mixed zone.
Igor Tudor’s men therefore ended the season at home under the thunder of whistles, for a lap of the lawn with a string of low heads. “We are sad. We wanted to offer a good victory, there were motivations for that, the 30 years of the Champions League, the last at home… But we were not good enough, ”did not hide the ‘coach.
A match that finally sums up the Marseillais season well. Despite “a great Champions League campaign”, and a qualification still possible in the last match against Tottenham (1-2), OM still finished last in their group. In the Coupe de France, they achieved the feat of eliminating PSG in one of the most beautiful matches of the season at the Vélodrome, before being sadly knocked out by Annecy at home. And in Ligue 1, a second place mortgaged in two defeats in the North, against Lens (2-1) and Lille (2-1).
Valentin Rongier “touched, annoyed”
Yet Igor Tudor prefers to retain “a lot of positives” from this season: “I am proud and happy with this season. We played good football. In total, this team gave a lot of emotions and had good results. I am very satisfied with this season. We were hoping to be a little higher, but we are in our place”.
A feeling not at all shared by his midfielder, the only one to have appeared in the mixed zone after this new bitter defeat, Valentin Rongier: “I am touched, annoyed, necessarily because we do not have the right to do that. I don’t have the words. It’s a failure with the quality of the squad, we should have done better even if we don’t have to throw everything away either. “Frying on the line between Igor Tudor and his players, like the hug of comfort from Dimitri Payet towards a disappointed Mattéo Guendouzi in front of the south bend at the end of the match, two players sidelined by the Croatian and who could no longer be part of the OM workforce next season.