Thirty years after the victory of Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League, the Marseille city paid tribute to this coronation in a large popular celebration on Friday.
The Cup with big ears on the Old Port, like 30 years ago: Marseille proudly celebrated, on Friday May 26, the 30th anniversary of its victory in the Champions League with a big party bringing together supporters and players of the time.
“Thank you to the people of Marseille, I love you!“, launched Basile Boli, scorer and hero of the Munich final against AC Milan, installed on the balcony of the Town Hall. Below, a few thousand OM supporters had gathered in an atmosphere stadium, smoke bombs lit and chants taken up in chorus at the signal of a “capo” from the South Winners, the main group of OM supporters.
“On the evening of May 26, I watched the final and the next day we came to celebrate the title here. We threw ourselves into the Old Port with friends, colleagues, family. This is what it means to us“said Rémi, 39, as a huge tarp “Forever the first” was unveiled on the facade of the town hall.
From the place, where the actors of the time and those of today’s OM met, Laurent Tapie, the son of the “Boss” still idolized by the vast majority of Marseille supporters despite the corruption case VA-OM, which followed the coronation of Munich, then announced the launch of a subscription for the creation of a statue bearing the likeness of his father. It will represent the former president of OM and six winning players of the C1 (Deschamps, Boli, Di Meco, Desailly, Barthez and Sauzée) and will be installed in front of the Vélodrome, an esplanade of which will now bear the name of Bernard Tapie.
The coast all in red
“There will be something in Marseille that bears his name and that is not insignificant. Being near the Stade Vélodrome for eternity, nothing could have made him happier“, said Laurent Tapie, while the forecourt of the enclosure will be renamed in honor of the former president of the club. On the balcony, the mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan first greeted the supporters, without whom “there is no OM“, then the 1993 players.”They are there to remind us of one thing: whatever happens, we are forever the first!“, he launched.
Then the party continued with the replay of the Munich final on a giant screen. And continued at 11 p.m., with a massive lighting of smoke bombs organized by groups of supporters over more than 20 kilometers along the Marseille coast.
Saturday, before the OM-Brest match at the Vélodrome, a giant tifo will be deployed on the four stands of the stadium for a final tribute to the evening of May 26, 1993.