René Malleville and OM, OM and René Malleville. But not only. The famous supporter of Olympique de Marseille will be buried this Friday morning at 9 a.m. in the church of Saint-Miter, in the 13th arrondissement of Marseille. As he wished, the ceremony will be public and there is no doubt that the great family of Olympique de Marseille will be there to accompany him.
If his name will forever be associated with the Olympique de Marseille, he has also put his famous banter at the service of many other causes. Always remaining the same: “A phenomenon, a leader of man”, as described by Robert Vidal, a former colleague of his time RTM, the Marseille transport network.
“A handsome guy like we don’t do anymore”
It was as a trade unionist that this native of Carcassone (Aude) first became known in Marseille, where he was returning for the summer holidays. Even going so far as to create the “Syndicat des roulants et techniques”, judging the CGT section of the RTM too soft. “He was a man, always nickel. He was respected in his words, thanks to his loud verb. He had charisma, he was a handsome guy like no other. He was committed to the defense of the workers, for more justice, ”recalls his companion from the RTM.
Already with a side to the end. As when he blocked the RTM depots with his friends for several hours in 1987, when Marseille was paralyzed by snowfall. The episode will cost him his seat. “In 1995, when he was no longer at the RTM, he nevertheless offered to come and help us when we were being evacuated by the mobile guards”, relates Robert Vidal, nicknamed “the handle”, not ask why in his days of RTM.
“He knew when to mess around and when to be serious”
At the same time, he puts his banter in the service of politics. He enlisted in 1977 with Gaston Defferre, former mayor (PS) of Marseille, before being sidelined in the following elections because of his “big mouth”, hey, hey. He returned in 2008 to the lists of Jean-Noël Guérini, sentenced in 2021 for illegal taking of interest before appealing, one of the reasons why René Malleville did not extend the adventure in 2014.
“I didn’t know him in his Defferre time, I was too young, but we became friends at the time of Lucien Weygand [ancien président socialistedu conseil départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône]. Then when he was elected municipal councilor of the 2nd sector in the municipal elections of 2008, he was even more appreciated. He also had this direct style, with this way of speaking without restraint, with the heart, even if he was involved in politics in a less spectacular way than his positions on OM ”, suggests Samia Ghali, deputy mayor of Marseille since 2020.
This political commitment was an extension of the battles he waged with his union at the RTM. “It was always the defense of others, of the poorest, to go to the one who was most in need. He was always present at meetings, and knew when to mess around and when to be serious. He loved his city and was proud of it, that’s also why he got involved. A true Marseillais ”, she underlines.
“Everything tends to be policed, not him”
From 2009, his outspokenness and his verbal outbursts, spiced up with rudeness, spread throughout the world of football through his René’s minute, which rather borders on 10 minutes, and characterizes in itself the guy. What will open the doors of Do not touch My TV, the flagship C8 show hosted by Cyril Hanouna. And makes René Malleville known to the youngest, not to mention the famous “your mother’s con”, balanced live on CNews, while he was speaking on the issue of homophobia in the stadiums.
Great thought for those close to René Malleville. An explosive, passionate, authentic character who did not cheat by regaling us with mythical lyrical flights. pic.twitter.com/JQBr76QrSP
– (@walidacherchour) September 19, 2021
“Cyril had seen what he was doing on the Internet with his René’s minute, and he first came to the set in 2018. It was love at first sight. He was not playing a role, he was like in real life. As soon as he had something to say, he said it and often with a lot of humor. There was often a hubbub, but when René spoke, we listened to him. It is rare to have such a frank guy in this environment. Everything tends to be policed, not him, ”says Nouredine Slimani, the producer of TPMP.
As when he was swinging “I don’t give a fuck”, in full live. “He could get anything through, and it made the rants sing.” Now every time I hear someone say “I don’t give a fuck”, I will inevitably think of René, “smiles the producer.
The queen of her swarm
High-flying lyrical flights, but always with respect and kindness. And when he considers being mocked by other columnists, he does not hesitate to slam the door of the show to “protect his family”. “I have talked a lot, a lot with my family. With my wife we spoke until 2 am, she was crying like a madeleine. I’ve been married for 53 years, an adorable woman, she’s the queen of my family swarm, to see my wife like this, whom I knew at 15… ”, he confided live with emotion. Because beyond his passion for OM, his union fights, the defense of others, it is his family that René Malleville loved above all.
And no one could imagine the disappearance of such a rock. “Personally, I didn’t believe him. It was cancer, yes, but for me it was bound to come out of it. He exuded such strength. When I found out, I stopped whatever I was doing. It made us all sad, the technicians, the production, the columnists. Cyril was devastated. Just talking about it brings tears to my eyes, ”says Nouredine Slimani.
This Friday, in his beloved city where he arrived at the age of 10 from Morocco, where his policeman father was stationed, never to leave her again, many tears will flow when saying one last “come on, hello children ”.