“It’s more beautiful when it’s OM…”, complain Marseille supporters who see the Vélodrome stadium adorned with Olympic colours

The legendary Orange Vélodrome stadium is renamed “Stade de Marseille” for the duration of the Olympic Games. The city is preparing to host Olympic football matches, starting Wednesday evening.

Before the big kick-off of the Olympic Games and the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26 on the Seine in Paris, the first events begin on Wednesday, July 24. Football in Paris, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Marseille. Ten matches of the Olympic football tournament will be played at the Vélodrome, including the France-United States match on Wednesday, July 24 at 9 p.m. The Vélodrome is the beating heart of Marseille… where people love to hate Paris. But the stadium had to get in tune and don the Olympic colors.

So it should no longer be called the Velodrome, but “Marseille Stadium”. The name has disappeared from the roof, and Olympic rings sit on its façade. The fans who have come to admire their temple are somewhat disturbed. “I wanted to take a photo in front of the stadium, but they removed the letters of the Vélodrome, so it’s a shame because the stadium is less recognizable in the photoexplains Théo, a Belgian tourist dressed in OM colours, from his head to his flip-flops. It’s still less beautiful.”

The light blue and white, the legendary colours of the stadium, have given way to navy blue and pink. Jonathan, too, is wearing the OM jersey and he is taking pictures of his newborn in front of the stadium, to baptize him: “We were leaving the maternity ward and suddenly, we showed our baby the stadium, classified as the most important monument in Marseille. It’s prettier when it’s OM than when it’s the Olympics. And luckily, it doesn’t say Paris!”he prefers to smile.

The Paris 2024 Olympic flag is also discreet: it appears in small print on signs to direct spectators, or on banners in the stands. It is not certain that Olympic football matches will arouse the same fervor as Olympique de Marseille.

In any case, the sandwiches are ready in Jacky’s van, on the stadium forecourt. “We don’t know how many people there will be at each game. There are people from almost every country, like the United States, so it will be hot dogs. We will try a variety of sandwiches to please everyone. It’s still a joy.”emphasizes the boss.

Robert, for his part, notices the beginning of something: “It’s starting to get a bit lively. The crowds are going to arriveassures this server in a brasserie just opposite the Vélodrome. I already have Australians who come to eat, Americans too. I have quite a few English people too. What’s good here is that for the moment, we don’t have, like in Paris, barriers everywhere.”he tackles in passing.

In Marseille, in fact, there are no barriers or QR codes. Tickets are also sold at knockdown prices: for the Olympic matches that are not yet sold out, prices start at 15 euros per person. There are even a few places left for the first match of the French team, Wednesday July 24, where more than 60,000 spectators are expected.