“It will be magnificent to inaugurate this monument on an OM-PSG match day”, hopes Laurent Tapie

The son of the former president of OM announced that he had reached the subscription amount for this work which will be inaugurated “at the end of the year” “in front of the main entrance” of the stadium.

There will be a statue of Bernard Tapie in front of the Vélodrome. Laurent Tapie announced, Monday May 27, 2024, that he had reached the subscription amount to sculpt the work representing his father, Bernard Tapie, at the head of Olympique de Marseille during the club’s victory in the Champions League there at 30 years old.

Guest of France Bleu Provence this Monday, Laurent Tapie, who created an association a year ago called “Forever the first” with the aim of raising funds to finance the construction of a statue in memory of his father, announced that the statue will be installed “in front of the main entrance“, specifies Laurent Tapie, on the esplanade which will bear the name of Bernard Tapie, and which welcomes spectators who go to the Vélodrome stadium.

The prize pool has reached its goal, “the sums have been collected”, he assured, or around 250,000 euros. “It’s been several weeks since we managed to reach the target amount” says Laurent Tapie, who never doubted his success. “I never doubted it, I had even personally guaranteed the funds for the sculptor and for the foundry because I did not want them to wait until the whole sum was raised to start working“, explains Laurent Tapie. So from the first day of subscription, “they got to work, and this is what will enable us to inaugurate this monument at the end of the year.“, promises Bernard Tapie’s son.

The statue will represent a legendary scene in the history of OM: “It will represent six of the emblematic players of the 93 team, who carry on their shoulders my father, who himself brandishes the trophy, describes Laurent Tapie. It’s a scene that really existed the day after the victory at the Vélodrome stadium. The six players are simply not exactly the six players that were in the photo of this scene, I really took six of the most emblematic ones: Fabien Barthez, Basile Boli, Marcel Dessailly, Didier Deschamps, Franck Sauzée and Éric Di Meco“.

He hopes to inaugurate the statue “mid-November“.”I am going to send an official letter in my name and in the name of the supporters to the Football League which determines the Ligue 1 calendar every year, so that they can schedule us, if they wish, with OM-PSG of the season which will come around November 15specifies Laurent Tapie. Either Sunday 17 or Sunday 24 November. It will be magnificent to inaugurate this monument on an OM-PSG day“.

The prize pool will, however, remain open: “I left the subscription open and all the surplus will go to Jean-Pierre Papin’s association Neuf de cœur which has been helping families of children with brain injuries for around twenty years.“, promises Laurent Tapie.