We can blame OM for things, but certainly not the French geographical culture that this club brings us. So back to the different provincial towns where Olympique de Marseille has been deliciously wallowing in recent years. This article looks like a France 5 broadcast.
Annecy
Let’s start with the most recent! Twinned with the city of Liptovský Mikuláš in Slovakia, the city of Annecy is nicknamed the Venice of the Alps. Because yes, every city that has canals on land becomes in essence the Venice of its territory. A certain idea of the laziness shared by Colmar or Bruges.
Local specialty, the tartiflette, the raclette, the fondue, the crozets (sorts of pasta in less good), but especially the shootout session. While in the rest of France, we get stuck saying it’s a lottery, in Annecy, we prefer to defy the statistics. In the sixteenth against Belfort, in the eighth against the PFC and therefore in the quarter against Olympique de Marseille, the high Savoyards have become masters of the specialty. Even if, in the end, not much had to be done to counter Nuno Tavares’ disastrous run-up or the flat foot – next to Balerdi.
Last thing, the inhabitants of Annecy like to remember that they are high Savoyards and not simple Savoyards. Someone will therefore have to tell them that for the rest of France, it’s strictly the same thing.
Carquefou
A medium-sized town of 20,000 inhabitants in the urban area of Nantes, Carquefou was destined to remain one of those anonymous towns in large agglomerations. However, she seeks to attract the lights by offering herself some prestigious distinctions: Sportiest town in Pays de la Loire in 1997, 2007 and 2019, city with the label Internet @@@@ in 2010…
But these distinctions are nothing compared to their main feats of arms: killers of big teams in the Coupe de France. True to its motto “Evergreen leafy oak” (no, we’re kidding, it’s unrelated, but we wanted to place him), Carquefou, in CFA 2, defeated OM 1-0 in 2008. A disastrous alignment of the Zubar – Faty hinge combined with a strawberry outing of Carasso will suffice.
In 2023, it is the young people of Carquefou who recreate the feat against the Girondins de Bordeaux. Victory on penalties to advance to the quarter.
Canet-En-Roussillon
A well-known seaside resort in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Canet-en-Roussillon is mainly known more for its deckchairs on the beach than for the quality of its football. And yet, it was at the Gilbert-Brutus stadium in Perpignan that the Olympians dozed off in 2021.
Faced with a team that was in its third match for 5 months, Covid obliges, OM found themselves out of form. A Juninhesque free-kick and a superb off-beat exit from Pelé will do the trick. This defeat, apparently joyful for the FFL, will be fatal to Jacques-Henri Eyraud. The end of a presidency that will remain in the annals of the club.
Andrezieux-Boutheon
Back to 2019. The Covid did not yet exist and no one knew how to put the small town of Andrézieux-Bouthéon on the map of France. And yet, this is where OM come into play. The residents of National 2 find themselves facing Marseille of Rudi Garcia who are on a series of furious madmen: 5 games without a win and elimination from the Europa League with 1 point scored in a group that included Eintracht Frankfurt, Lazio Rome and especially the ogres of Apollon Limassol.
In the midst of a crisis of confidence, Rudi therefore sent the incumbents to the coal to reassure themselves: Mandanda, Luiz Gustavo, Ocampos, Payet, Thauvin. 15 minutes of play, corner. Mandanda comes out in perfect counter time to allow the Falcons to open the scoring. At the 60th, Valère Germain offers us a quality harvest then Andrézieux finishes the job at the 82nd. A victory that finally allows Geoffroy-Guichard to vibrate. That was actually the last time it happened.
Quevilly
Located in Petit-Quevilly, bordering Grand-Quevilly in the Rouen agglomeration, the city has several prides: being the birthplace of Franck Dubosc and having achieved a number of exploits in the Coupe de France. Because yes, here, Olympique de Marseille shares its disappointments with many other Ligue 1 clubs: Rennes twice, Boulogne, Lyon and Bastia. We can even add illustrious clubs that were in Ligue 2 such as Lens or Angers.
And at the Ornano stadium, it was Quevilly who opened the scoring with a nice soft shot. Bracigliano can’t do anything. The Marseillais must wait until the 85th minute to equalize, by Loic Remy. Overtime, with a final 10 minutes of complete madness. Quevilly passes to 2-1 at 110. Equalization 1 minute later by Remy too. In the 117th, Bracigliano treats himself to a new strawberry outing (an ingredient that often comes up in Olympians’ disappointments). 3-2, final score.
Quevilly will offer Rennes in the 90th minute in the semi-finals, before losing to Olympique Lyonnais in the final.
Grenoble
Back to the Alps. After Annecy, the Venice of the Alps, here is Grenoble, the basin of the Alps. A city without ventilation that offers extreme heat waves and freezing winters. And it is rather this last type of temperature that OM came to test. Though. After 5 minutes of play, Gignac opened the scoring for the band in Bielsa against National players at the time. But no time to doubt for the homeland of Mister V. Equalization in the 10th, but Gignac puts a layer just before halftime.
The return from the locker room will see Grenoble come back to score. Extensions are coming. Djadjédjé offers himself an offside goal from one meter and we are heading for a Marseille victory at the Stade des Alpes. Except that in the 119th, Bengriba sends his best uncrossed diving header to beat Brice Samba. The rest: Thauvin misses his shot on goal, OM are eliminated. Double kiss-cool effect, a little tweet from Jean-Mimi to end the defeat.
Like what an away game in the cup is always difficult to negotiate what a beautiful team from Grenoble. Congratulations to amateur football: giant
— Jean-Michel AULAS (@JM_Aulas) January 4, 2015
Gueugnon
Back to the early 2000s. A legendary year for the Blacksmiths of Gueugnon, in Saône-et-Loire. As its name suggests, we are here in an industrial city which has made forging and foundry its trademark. And this year 2000 and forged in Gueugnonnaises memories. But before the feat against PSG in the Coupe de la Ligue, it was Marseille who went to the hammer.
And here, a sublime Olympian almost remontada. Led 4-0 in the 69th minute, the Olympians came back to 4-3 in the 87th minute, in vain. This year will see above all the glorious epic of Calais, but we must not forget that the Gueugnonnais made Marseille and Paris the same year. For once we managed to get the 2 clubs to agree.
