It was a shock wave that shook Marseille, but also France football, Tuesday evening. Pape Diouf, ex-leader of OM between 2005 and 2009, succumbed to Covid-19, in Senegal, in Dakar, when there was talk of a medical repatriation to France. The current president of Olympique de Marseille, Jacques-Henri Eyraud, reacted to the microphone of Europe 1. "It is a great sadness for his family, his loved ones, all those who love him and there were many of them. He won the respect of OM supporters, obviously in love with this city, we are all very sad this evening. "
And to recall one of the main feats of Pape Diouf, perhaps the most symbolic. "I think he was very appreciated, he had a lot of charisma, poise and presence ... and then it was this famous match of the little ones [in 2006] in Paris which won the hearts of the supporters", remembers for Europe 1 Jacques-Henri Eyraud. Pape Diouf then opposed drastic measures taken against Marseille supporters. He had decided to send the youth team to face Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. Final score: 0-0.
"Opinions, a will, a determination"
"It was an incredible and logical decision, it shows all the man who was. A man with opinions, a will, a determination, a character. I believe that we must honor him today because the football, Marseille and Olympique de Marseille have lost a very great leader. "
If the hour is still with emotion in Marseilles, the president Eyraud, "constrained by the confinement and the sanitary rules of the moment", entrusted to Europe 1 that "quite obviously that when the time comes, we will pay homage to Pope Diouf who deserves it so much. " "We will be at this meeting there," he promised.