While in Marseille, Dimitri Payet spoke to our colleagues at BFM Marseille Provence about his fondest memories with OM.
Passing through Marseille, Dimitri Payet spoke in a long interview with our colleagues from BFM Marseille Provence over the course of the nine seasons he spent with OM. The Vasco da Gama player was present on Saturday at the match between OM and Lille (1-1) and believes that the draw between the two teams is justified: “I would have preferred Marseille to take all three points, but Lille showed at the start of the season that they are a very solid team.the draw is more than fair from the point of view of the aspect of the match.” When asked about his best season spent with OM, Payet made a recent choice: “I would say our Sampaoli’s season. I’ll take this. Statistics are still statistics. But beyond this, the game we supported on the pitch, the team of furious madmen we had, the communion with the public… Even with this European Cup, where we reached the semi-final (against Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Conference League).”
Memories of Leipzig and Lyon
Also asked about the best match he had with OM, Payet chose two matches in particular: “Two come to mind. But the first is necessarily the one against Leipzig in the European Cup (quarter-finals of the 2018 Europa League, ed.). And the second is against Lyon (2-1 win in Ligue 1 in autumn 2019, double from D.Payet).” Even more surprising, when asked about the person to whom he moast owed his arrival at OM, he mentioned one of its former presidents: “When I returned in January 2017 I have a gratitude that will be eternal, it is the president of the OM, who at the time was Jacques-Henri Eyraud. He told me, “I want you back and I will do whatever it takes to get you back.” And we fought until January 28th and 29th,and it was tough. Because at a certain point I told myself that it would be intricate to achieve. But he never gave up on this negotiation.”