MarseilleThere are at least two things that are sacred in Marseilles, the city founded by the Greeks 26 centuries ago: Notre Dame de la Garde, called the “Good Mother”, with its Basilica overlooking the city, and Olympique de Marseille, commonly known as “OM”, the city’s soccer club.
For over a hundred years, OM’s match results have been the source of conversation at the Old Port, as well as on the city’s most famous avenue, La Canebière.
While football is the usual main topic of conversation to accompany games of pétanque (the other main local sport) and a couple of rounds of Pastis (the local tipple), rugby has made a name for itself too to the extent that people used to think that the French team was unbeatable on the field of the famous Vélodrome Stadium.
On 18 November 2000 France beat New Zealand there (42-33). A year later, ‘les bleus’ beat Australia by a hair’s breadth 14-13. In fact, the Tricolores’ string of victories in Marseille continued through 2002 with their win over South Africa (17-16), and 2003 against the English (17-16). Sadly, their luck ran out on 20 November 2004, when Argentina beat them 24-14.
Edouard Gay, a Town Councillor, first had the idea of building a large sports stadium in the city centre in 1918. The project for an Olympic stadium with a cinder track and a velodrome was adopted in 1933 and the first stone was laid in 1935.
The 1938 Soccer World Cup was the dream event for its inauguration. The Vélodrome was renovated prior to the 1998 Soccer World Cup. It now has seating capacity for 60,000 spectators, enough to hold the OM’s fiery supporters.
Each of its four stands are named after a local celebrity, such as Jean Bouin (the runner, who was a world record holder) or, going back further in time, Chevalier Roze, a gallant citizen who stopped the plague in 1720 due to his acts of bravery.
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