The Unwavering Pride of Olympique de Marseille: Thirty Years Since “Star on the Shirt”

When you ask a supporter of Olympique de Marseille, whether he is 15, 25, 42, 53 or 62 years old, you are sure to hear this story of “star on the shirt”. A little embroidery that has traveled the ages, thirty years now, and which is still the pride of an entire city. “We are still the only French club to have won the European Cup, damn it!“, loose Mathias, 25 years old.

Those who have experienced it: “You live and you go with it”

Unlike this young student, Gaël lived the night of May 26, 1993. He was born in May 1981 and had therefore just celebrated his twelve birthday. And yet, he tells it to us as if it were yesterday. “In the 1991 final, I was only allowed to watch the first half. On May 26, it was the first match during the week that I had been able to watch in full, on the television in the living room. My dad was not a soccer player and yet I remember that he had screamed as not possible“, recalls this former resident of the Camas district, in the center of Marseille. “I had a bookstore on La Canebière and the atmosphere before the match was crazy. There was something in the air, we knew we were gonna win“, smiles Thierry, 62 years old today.

One was almost a teenager, the other already a man and thirty years later, the moment has remained suspended for these two men. “It is a wonder that has never ceased, I will tell it beyond death. You live it and you go with it“, continues Thierry. “When you live it between 12 and 18 years old it’s very strong, you’re old enough to understand but not too old to keep this naive side of wonder. Same for 1998 and the Blues, it was fabulous while the 2018 World Cup, I almost didn’t care“, resumes Gaël, local sports journalist.

Those to whom it was told: “It’s not stars but lightning that my grandfather had in his eyes”

This title in the Champions League is his pride. Mathias was not born in 1993 but it’s just like. “My grandpa told me, he was on the Canebière the day of the match. He told me that these were emotions he had never experienced“, confides this student in the second year of a Master’s degree. “I experienced it by proxy, my grandfather when he spoke to me about it, it was not stars but flashes that he had in his eyes. It seems that the epic Europa League in 2018 is getting closer, but obviously not as crazy“.

It is also through transmission that Camille was able to experience the evening of May 26. “I regret not having lived through that time. On the sporting level, it was the Holy Grail for the club but also for the supporters. My section head told me about it several times, he was in Munich, he“, slips this native of 2000 in Saint-Avold in Moselle but member of the East section of the South Winners since he was 6 years old. As part of his studies, this passionate about OM has also decided to join Marseille. “In the city, people talk about it from their Marseille point of view, everyone has their own story of this day“.

In Marseille, Camille could also have come across and listened to the story of Pascal, 53 years old. And yet, this Dordognais only arrived in France’s second city in 1996. “Obviously I was a fan for a long time, it was even a motivation that played a lot in my professional transfer.“, confides the one who subscribed a year later to the Stade Vélodrome. Later, he subscribed his two sons. “As soon as they were old enough, I passed on my passion for the club to them and I obviously told them about 1993, showing them excerpts from the match.“, he continues.

Tomorrow, write a new chapter without closing the story?

A certainty also among supporters of all these ages, whether they have experienced it or not, we would ask for such emotions again. “Even if at 62 I sometimes tell myself that I want to turn my back on this money football, it is hope that makes menir,” confides Thierry. Some like 16-year-old Thomas don’t even want to hear about 1993 anymore.”It’s fine to hear stories that date back thirty years, now we want to write our own story“, explains this young high school student. “I understand this vision, at 22 I didn’t know much. Victory in the league and in the Coupe de France is still not bad, but I have not experienced a real big victory with such emotion.“, shares Camille.