Join Now  | 
Home About Contact Us Privacy & Security Advertise
Soccer America Daily Special Edition Around The Net Soccer Business Insider College Soccer Reporter Youth Soccer Reporter Soccer on TV Soccer America Classifieds
Paul Gardner: SoccerTalk Soccer America Confidential Youth Soccer Insider World Cup Watch
RSS Feeds Archives Manage Subscriptions Subscribe
Order Current Issue Subscribe Manage My Subscription Renew My Subscription Gift Subscription
My Account Join Now
Tournament Calendar Camps & Academies Soccer Glossary Classifieds
Marseille ends 17-year drought
by Paul Kennedy, March 28th, 2010 12:46AM
Subscribe to Soccer America Daily


MOST READ
TAGS:  france


[FRANCE] Marseille ended a long drought when it won its first title since 1993 by beating Bordeaux, 3-1, in the League Cup final at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Senegalese Souleymane Diawara, Mathieu Valbuena and Mathieu Chalme scored for OM, which had not won a title since its 1993 UEFA Champions League crown.

OM coach Didier Deschamps had captained the club in 1993, just as the VA-OM scandal hit. It involved Marseille's attempt to fix a French league match with Valenciennes.

Marseille president Bernard Tapie, a well-known businessman and politician, went to jail along with Jean-Pierre Bernes, the club's general manager. Three Valenciennes players -- including Argentine great Jorge Burruchaga -- and one Marseille player received suspended sentences.

Marseille had its 1993 French title taken away from it and was banned from defending its Champions League title -- the only one won by a French team.

The late Robert Louis-Dreyfus later took charge of Marseille and injected millions of dollars into the club, but it failed to win anything.

Afterward, Deschamps dedicated the win to Louis-Dreyfus.

"This is an immense joy for everyone," he said. "It is for the players, but also for a lot of people that follow Marseille closely. I want to dedicate this win to Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who was not lucky enough to see this. I also want to spare a thought for Pape Diouf. Without him I would not be here, I will not forget that."

Pape Diouf was the general manager who hired Deschamps. Diouf, a former player agent, was fired shortly before Louis-Dreyfus' death on July 4, 2009.



No comments yet.

Sign in to leave a comment. Don't have an account? Join Now


AUTHORS

ARCHIVES
FOLLOW SOCCERAMERICA

Recent Soccer America Daily
Rogers-for-Magee, hometown boys return home    
[MLS SPOTLIGHT] Three months after announcing he was gay and retiring from soccer at the age ...
Tampa Bay and Atlanta eye outright lead    
[NASL SCHEDULE: Week 8] After winning their 2012 Soccer Bowl rematch with Minnesota United FC last ...
Timbers put unbeaten road record on line    
[MLS SCHEDULE: Week 13] The Portland Timbers sit third in the Western Conference with one loss ...
What They're Saying    
"I seriously felt like a coward. These kids are standing up for themselves and changing the ...
Seaton scores in Richmond win    
[USL PRO REWIND: Week 10] D.C. United's latest homegrown signing, Jamaican U-17 Michael Seaton, and midfielder ...
Charlotte remains unbeaten with 2-2 tie    
[USL PRO REWIND: Week 10] The Charlotte Eagles (3-0-4) remained unbeaten with a 2-2 tie against ...
Tijuana concedes late tie; Hoffenheim coasts    
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Americans Edgar Castillo and Joe Corona will have to head back to Brazil in ...
Busch Stadium friendly draws standing-room crowd    
[CHELSEA-MANCHESTER CITY] Manchester City kicked off the international summer friendly season with a bang, rallying from ...
Soumare deal is win-win for all parties    
[MLS TRANSACTIONS] Few deals seem to work out for all parties, but the Bakary Soumare trade ...
New York and FC Dallas look to solidify leads    
[MLS SCHEDULE: Week 13] MLS finishes its third month Memorial Day weekend with six games Saturday ...
>> Soccer America Daily Archives