“The shame of my life”, the painful memory of 2013 for OM

For Souleymane Diawara, 0 points in the Champions League are “the shame of [s] for life”.

-

• After seven years of absence, OM return to the Champions League against Mathieu Valbuena's Olympiakos

• During its last participation in 2013/2014, the club did not collect any points: a first for a French club in C1.

• Former defender Souleymane Diawara confides his "shame" after this sad record.

What is the first memory that comes back to you when you talk about OM's last participation in the Champions League?

“The year of 0 points?

It was a disaster, I was downright ashamed of myself ”, loose the former defender, Souleymane Diawara.

At a time when Olympique de Marseille is preparing to return to the largest European competition with a trip to Olympiakos, Wednesday at 9 p.m., the memories of the club's last participation in C1 are painful.

And for good reason, OM's last participation in the Champions League dates back to the 2013/2014 season and a zero point in the group stage, with six defeats in six games, 14 goals conceded, for 5 scored.

"I would have preferred not to play the Champions League"

A journey that Mathieu Valbuena wanted to put into perspective in the columns of

 : “We had good matches, which had not been played for anything, especially at home.

We could not have passed but the zero does not reflect the content of our services.

"While recalling the quality of OM's opponents that year with a group" of death "made up of Arsenal, 4th in the English championship, Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga and Naples, second in Serie A.

“I agree with Mathieu, continues Souleymane Diawara, it was a difficult group and some matches were close.

But in the end what do we remember?

0 points.

" He pursues:

I promise you I would have preferred not to play the Champions League if I had known it would end like this, it was a shame for the supporters.

It instilled a negative spiral for the rest of the year.

"

"One of the rare years when we did not stay in room"

Indeed, it is not only in the field that this sad record has left its mark.

Emilie, a former MTP subscriber, remembers.

“It was really the year of shame, it's one of the rare years when we didn't stay in the room.

It hurt a little in the c **.

“She shares Souleymane Diawara's vision for the end of the season.

“Obviously it has a place with what happened after [coach Elie Baup was sacked in the wake].

You need serenity, to see that there is a pilot on the plane.

The supporters were very excited, especially against Anigo, ”recalls the supporter.

I am exchanging my Marseille Olympic League champion tracksuit for the 2013/2014 season for a packet of peach-flavored condoms.

RT

- Toto Jr. (@ Toooto_13) November 6, 2013

A catastrophic Champions League campaign synonymous with the end of the cycle for OM.

“We did the double in 2010, we say to ourselves that it starts from there, that we are going to ride the wave and you go from something too cool to something too bad.

You are falling back into the bottom of the wave, ”she says.

"A lot of water has flowed under the bridges"

If this sad record marked a generation, Emilie considers that it should not weigh on the shoulders of the current workforce.

“Already that will take the pressure off them, they will not be the first to score 0 points.

And there are still more positive elements, you won Paris so it's playable, the atmosphere is good in the group, like the confidence in the coach.

There is no such deleterious climate and the last match against Bordeaux is not bad, ”she lists.

“There is still a lot of water that has flowed under the bridges since then.

They played in a Europa League final, it's a new generation that fought last year to be in the Champions League.

This year's group is still difficult, but I dream of it finishing second, ”Souleymane Diawara wishes.

But beware, with OM, the old demons are never far away.

Sport

Olympiakos-OM: Mathieu Valbuena "has never been so important in a team" as in the Greek club

Sport

Olympiakos-OM: There will ultimately be no supporters when the Greek government authorized 3,500 spectators

• Marseilles

• Sport

• Champions League

• Soccer

• OM

• Souleymane diawara