Marseille

Olympique Marseille was founded in 1892 and adopted the name Olympique as part of the club’s name in 1899 as an honor to the Greeks who had founded Marseille 25 centuries before. Originally the club only played rugby, and it wasn’t until 1902 that they began to play football. In 1904 Marseille won their regional league and were able to participate in the 11th French Championship.

The 20s were a great time for the club, as they won 3 Coupes de France, marking their first major trophies in club history. The club officially went professional in 1932, and in 1937 they won their first French championship. They also won the Coupe de France in 1935 and 1938. Then years later they won their second French championship before being relegated for the first time in 1959.

Marseille began to dominate in the early 1970s when Marcel Leclerc became president of the club. They won the Coupe de France in 1969 and the league in 1971. They won a domestic double in 1972, but were knocked out of European competitions in 1971 and 72. Again, though, in the the late 70s they were relegated to the second division.

Things began to shift at the end of the 1980s as the club began to spend big money to bring in famed players like Eric Cantona and Didier Deschamps. These new signings helped Marseille to win four league titles in a row from 1989 to 1992, while also getting a French Cup along the way. They also managed to reach the European Cup final in 1991, but lost to Red Star Belgrade. The highlight of this great period in club history was winning the Champions League in 1993 over AC Milan.

However, the very next year the club was involved in financial irregularities and a match-fixing scandal, leading to their forced relegation to division 2. They returned to Ligue 1 by 1996, largely thanks to Adidas’ CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus, and they reached another European Cup final in 1999. Over the next 10 years the club would reach several finals, but failed to win any major trophies. Their first trophy in 17 years came in 2010, when they beat Bordeaux in the Coupe de la Ligue final, and 2 months later they won the Trophée des Champions over PSG.

They won the Coupe de la Ligue the next two years in a row, but failed to have success in any additional competitions. Marseille continues to finish in the top half of the French table and regularly compete in European competitions, but have not had a major trophy win since 2012.

2023-24 SEASON: 8th in Ligue 1, Coupe de France Round of 32

2024-25 SEASON: Ligue 1

Marseille’s most famous rivalry is with PSG, nicknamed Le Classique. The name is modeled after El Clásico, the famous rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. This rivalry also extends outside of football, as it is between capital and province. These two clubs are also the only two French teams who have won major European trophies.

Marseille’s women’s team was founded in 2011, but the club was already active in women’s football in the 1920s. The team disappeared in the 1930s, but it makes it one of the European pioneers of women’s football. It was reintroduced in the 70s, but only lasted until 1983 before it was gone again. In 2011, it was introduced for a third time, and by 2017 they had reached the top division in French women’s football.

Home games are at Stade Le Cesne in the southern part of the city. Check om.fr/en/team/women for more details.

The club plays “Jump” by Van Halen before each home game.

Marseille’s home ground is the Stade Vélodrome, one of the most famous stadiums in France. They have played at the Stade Vélodrome since 1937, and after several renovations for several Euros and a World Cup, the current capacity is 67,000, making it the second largest stadium in France.

TOURS: Check the club website for info on tours.

GETTING THERE: It’s a couple of miles from the city center and train station, so it’s best to take Metro Line 2. From the old port area, it’s about a 45-minute walk. Use this link to find it on Google Maps.

PUBS and GRUB: There isn’t a whole lot near the stadium, so focus these efforts in the center and/or old port area.

AROUND TOWN: We haven’t been there yet, so here is a link to the city’s official tourism site and a video to introduce you to it.