There were dozens of them wandering the streets while waiting for the stadium doors to open, boulevard Michelet for this clasico. Shirts, jackets, scarves and other joggers in the colors of OM proudly displayed from the Panier to Parc Borély via the Corniche Kennedy and the Old Port, the whole city of Marseille has gotten in tune to support the Olympian institution , a tradition on match days accentuated this Sunday, February 26 for the reception of the Parisian rival.
A packed velodrome
Under the Provençal sun, some were already seated in the morning in front of the Orange Vélodrome, the surroundings of which really filled up in the afternoon. In a concert of detonations of firecrackers, mortars, rockets and fireworks below the René-Dufaure square in Montmirail, there were hundreds of them raising the temperature despite the icy breeze and the local drizzle.
For others, the priorities were elsewhere and several dozen fans were present from 10 a.m. in the arena of the 8th arrondissement. For this second clasico of the season in Marseille after the Coupe de France (OM victory, 2-1), the six groups of Marseille supporters (Ultras, South Winners, Fanatics, Dodger’s and Marseille Trop Puissant) have planned a tifo grandiose incorporating the North and South bends.
“A City, a Club, a History”
This was deployed at the entrance of the actors under the blows of the mythical “Jump” in a deafening din. “A City, A Club, A History” appeared on a banner at the foot of the South bend and “Since 1899″ was written on a tarpaulin at the bottom of the North bend while a large “OM” and the monuments of the Marseille city were displayed on either side of the stadium.
Before that, the two corners had already rehearsed their ranges, singing well-known refrains from the Vélodrome and vigorously whistling the arrival of the players from the capital for the traditional pre-match warm-up. The anti-Parisian songs have also resounded on many occasions, which is also a local custom on an evening of clasico.
The first to come out of the Vélodrome tunnel, Giulangi Donnarumma suffered numerous whistles and the few missed shots on goal from the Rouge et Bleu were obviously knocked out by the South bend, world champion Kylian Mbappé being no exception. But the decibels really climbed when the Marseille eleven was announced by the announcer “Dédé” Fournel.
Mbappé whistled, scorer then passer
A few moments earlier, a “Aux Armes” played by the four stands of the Vélodrome warmed up the atmosphere a little more which reached its climax at 8.40 p.m., when the twenty-two actors arrived on the lawn. The clasico could start in a stadium in fusion. Before Mbappé, on a pass from Messi, extinguishes the atmosphere (25th minute) for the 1-0. Then that Messi, on a pass from Mbappé, still weighs it down a little more in stride…