This is the other image of Saturday night’s evening at the Stade Vélodrome. A few minutes after the magnificent tifo in tribute to the 30th anniversary of Olympique de Marseille’s victory in the Champions League on Saturday evening against Brest (1-2), a video of Mayor Benoît Payan (DvG), in a southerly turn, with the South Winners, made the rounds on social networks.
On the video posted by Rodolphe Tapie, grandson of Bernard Tapie, the former president of OM, and viewed nearly a million times, we see the Marseilles councilor, scarf in the colors of the group attached to the arm , intoning The Marseillais army. As related Provence, the Marseille right was quick to react in a tweet posted on Saturday evening by the group Une Volonté pour Marseille: “Record increase in property tax, budget canceled by the courts, total inaction in the face of assassinations, unprecedented housing crisis… Benoît Payan forever the first! »
“I go as I want”
The president of the metropolis, Martine Vassal, may be afraid of seeing her political opponent walking on her toes, she who had displayed herself behind the banner of the South Winners during the parade of OM supporters on the Old Port before the final of the Europa League in Lyon in 2018. Rachid Zeroual, one of the figures of the support group had not hesitated to appear alongside Solange Biaggi, candidate of Martine Vassal against Benoît Payan, in the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements during the 2020 municipal elections.
The mayor, assumes him, totally: “It does not make me hot or cold. I am an OM supporter, whether the right likes it or not. What did I do ? I went into a turn? Oh dear. I don’t really understand what they want… I go there as I want, in costume or with an SW scarf around my neck. And as I prefer to see a match in turn…”, he confided to Provence.
Rachid Zeroual, explained to him that he was “surprised” by the commemorations of the 30th anniversary of the victory in the Champions League organized in front of the town hall. “No need to explain to you what he had done for us against Eyraud [lors de sa volonté de dissoudre des groupes de supporteurs après l’invasion de la Commanderie en janvier 2021]. There, I find that they are concerned about their city, their supporters and associations. Even if there are ups and downs, it gives a good image of the city. “What make the Marseille right and other groups of supporters cringe.