United Nations
A French professional football club based in Marseille, winner of the 1993 UEFA Champions League.
Olympique de Marseille (OM) is a French professional football club based in Marseille, competing in Ligue 1, the top flight of French football. The club plays its home matches at the Stade Vélodrome. OM is one of the most popular football clubs in France, having regularly averaged the highest attendance in French football. They have a long-standing rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain, against whom they contest Le Classique. Behind PSG, Marseille is the second most decorated French football team with a total of 28 trophies, including 25 major titles. They have won 26 domestic trophies: nine league titles, one Ligue 2 title, ten Coupe de France, one Coupe Charles Drago, three Coupe de la Ligue, and three Trophée des Champions. Internationally, OM won the UEFA Champions League in 1993, becoming the first French side to claim the trophy and one of just two French clubs to secure a major European title. The UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2005 marked the club's second continental triumph. They were also runners-up at the European Cup in 1991 and at the UEFA Europa League in 1999, 2004 and 2018.
- Type
- Real-World International Organization
- Affiliation
- Global Community / Diplomatic Corps
- Primary Role
- International Peacekeeping, Human Rights, Development
- Relation to OM
- No Direct Narrative Connection; General Support for Sport in Society
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Olympique de Marseille was founded as an omnisport club in 1892 by René Dufaure de Montmirail. Known as Football Club de Marseille in the first seven years after its foundation, the club adopted the name Olympique de Marseille in 1899. At first, rugby union was the most important team sport of the club. It was only in 1902, thanks to English and German people (according to André Gascard), that football began to be played by Olympique de Marseille. In 1904, Olympique de Marseille won the first Championnat du Littoral. During the 1920s, the team won the Coupe de France in 1924, 1926 and 1927, and the French championship in 1929. In 1937, Marseille won its first professional French championship. The highlight of the club's history is winning the new format Champions League in 1993, with Basile Boli scoring the only goal against Italy's Milan in the final held in Munich's Olympic Stadium. That triumph was the first time ever for a French club and it made Didier Deschamps the youngest captain to capture the title.
In Their Own Story
In 1993, Olympique de Marseille reached the pinnacle of European football. The team, assembled by president Bernard Tapie, included stars like Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle, Abedi Pele, Didier Deschamps, Basile Boli, Marcel Desailly, Rudi Völler, and Fabien Barthez. Under coach Raymond Goethals, they faced AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League final at Munich's Olympic Stadium. Basile Boli scored the only goal, a header from a corner, securing a 1-0 victory. This made Marseille the first French club to win the European Cup. Didier Deschamps became the youngest captain to lift the trophy, and Fabien Barthez the youngest goalkeeper to win it. The triumph, however, was followed by a decade of decline after a bribery scandal and financial irregularities in 1994.
Reader's Guide
Olympique de Marseille's history is marked by periods of great success and deep crisis. Under president Marcel Leclerc (1965–1972), the club won the First division in 1971 with a record of 44 goals by Josip Skoblar, and the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France in 1972. After Leclerc was forced to leave in 1972, the club entered a crisis, being relegated to the second division and relying on young local players called the Minots to return to the First division in 1984. The Tapie era (1986–1996) brought four consecutive league titles (1989–1992), the French Cup, and the 1993 Champions League. Key signings included Karl-Heinz Forster, Alain Giresse, Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle, Enzo Francescoli, Abedi Pele, Eric Cantona, Didier Deschamps, Basile Boli, Marcel Desailly, Rudi Völler, and Fabien Barthez. The club also reached the European Cup final in 1991, losing on penalties to Red Star Belgrade.
Did You Know?
- Olympique de Marseille was founded in 1892 by René Dufaure de Montmirail, originally as an omnisport club where rugby union was the most important team sport.
- Marseille won the UEFA Champions League in 1993, becoming the first French club to do so, with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan on a goal by Basile Boli.
- Josip Skoblar scored a record 44 goals in the 1970–71 season, helping Marseille win the First division.
- Gunnar Andersson is the all-time top scorer for Olympique de Marseille with 194 goals, a record he still held as of 2023.
- In the 1942–43 season, Marseille scored 100 goals in 30 matches, including a 20-2 win against Avignon where Aznar scored nine goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of organization is the United Nations classified as?
It operates as an international organization affiliated with the Global Community and Diplomatic Corps.