Marseille on the rise again

By Christian Châtelet

Former European champions Olympique de Marseille kick off their season in the third round of the UEFA Intertoto Cup on Saturday hoping to emulate past French successes in the competition.

Intertoto catalyst
Since their UEFA Champions League triumph in 1993, France's best-supported team have not won a major trophy, and fingers are crossed at the Stade Vélodrome that the Intertoto Cup will prove the catalyst for a reversal in fortune.

Lille success
What would Marseille give to achieve the success LOSC Lille Métropole have enjoyed since entering the Intertoto Cup last season? Initially OM were against the idea of mid-summer competition, perhaps fearful of the effects a July start could have on the side come the spring.

Change of heart
But Marseille, like all French teams, have had a change of heart since seeing Lille win the tournament last August, then reach the UEFA Cup Round of 16 and finish runners-up to Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. So much for tiring towards the end of the campaign. While Marseille prepare for the Intertoto Cup, Lille are resting ahead of the Champions League. How ironic, then, that Lille were only granted an Intertoto Cup berth last year because OM declined to take part.

Chasing a dream
OM have been chasing a dream since they became the first-ever Champions League winners and the first French club to lift a European trophy in 1993. Even those celebrations were tarnished by a corruption scandal that resulted in the Provençal side being stripped of their tenth league title. Since then 17 coaches and seven chairmen have been unable to bring back the glory days.

Final chance
Chairman Robert Louis-Dreyfus has been trying to do just that since buying the club in 1995. The former adidas CEO has subsequently invested €200m in OM with an estimated 200 players coming and going during that time. Over the past three seasons Marseille seemed finally to have turned the corner and the results were there for all to see as they reached the 2004 UEFA Cup final.

Troubled times
But following the €37.5m sale of Didier Drogba to Chelsea FC last summer, the club were again plunged into crisis with the resignations of chairman Christophe Bouchet and coach José Anigo within days of each other following a poor run of form. Philippe Troussier's tenure lasted a matter of months as Marseille's campaign petered out in a disappointing fifth-place finish.

Optimism
This summer, though, a sense of optimism has swept the club inspired by new president Pape Diouf. Jean Fernandez has been brought in as coach from FC Metz and striker Mamadou Niang has been signed from RC Strasbourg for €7m, aiming to emulate Drogba's exploits. The Intertoto Cup may not be the first choice for a club of Marseille's stature, but it is a step in the right direction. "If we need to go through the Intertoto Cup to reach the UEFA Cup, we'll do it as carefully as possible," Pape said.

Top sides
Marseille kick off against BSC Young Boys on Saturday and some of Europe's big guns lie in wait should they advance. "If we get through there will be [S.S.] Lazio, Newcastle [United FC] or [RC Deportivo] La Coruña [waiting]," Fernandez said. "It's not the Intertoto but the UEFA Cup already."

Right track
How far the power of positive thinking takes Marseille remains to be seen, but a first triumph since 1993 would prove a huge boost for a club long starved of success. It may have taken Lille to show them the way, but Marseille could now be on the right track.