No, this is not a game behind closed doors, but a celebration in front of CAOM.

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Daniel Cole / AP / SIPA

  • Olympique de Marseille opens its season at home this Thursday against Saint-Etienne in a late match of the first day of Ligue 1.

  • With the new measures to fight against Covid-19 announced by the prefect on Monday, the Vélodrome will only be able to accommodate 1,000 spectators.

  • A lot of "sadness" and "bitterness" for the supporters for whom the matches against the historic rival Saint-Etienne are always an appointment.

A first match of the season at home against a rival, Saint-Etienne, less than a week after a victory against PSG.

All the ingredients were there for a crazy atmosphere at the Stade Vélodrome for the return of Olympique de Marseille to home in league 1, this Thursday evening.

But the Covid-19 pandemic requires, it is ultimately only 1,000 lucky people, or not, who will attend this meeting in a very empty stadium, given its capacity of 67,000 places.

Lionel, a member of Commando Ultra, will miss one of his first opening games of the season.

“It's sad, especially with a game against a historic rival.

Last year we celebrated the 35 years of the CU and the 120 of the club against them, it is clearly annoying not to be able to be there this year.

We start the season with a bombshell with two wins, we could fill up on points with a third victory in a row.

The 12th man could make the difference but it will unfortunately not be the best conditions, ”he regrets.

Tribute

Same resentment on the side of the South Winners with their historic leader, Rachid Zeroual.

“As with all football enthusiasts and lovers, there is a lot of bitterness.

But we have no choice.

It's a shame, we meet Saint-Etienne, the historic rival, after beating PSG, those were two great reasons to celebrate, ”he said.

And perhaps to make the Stéphanois pay “nicely” for the muscular welcome received by the Olympians supporters last season in Saint-Etienne, before being sent back to Marseille under tear gas.

The Winners will pay tribute to "all our deceased members of Covid-19", with panels measuring four meters by four installed in the southern bend, empty.

Not to mention a sign for Bertrand-Kamal, participant from Koh-Lanta and member of the Winners, who died last week.

The club will honor Michel Hidalgo and Pape Diouf "who disappeared during the confinement period and that we have not yet been able to honor in the form of a minute of silence", before another tribute for Bertrand-Kamal scheduled for Sunday against Lille, according to our information.

"It would have been easier to go in camera"

Unlike Bordeaux which has decided not to welcome any spectator after the lowering of the gauge to 1,000 people, Olympique de Marseille will play well with the “public”.

“Faced with the Prefecture's decision to reduce the tonnage from 5,000 to 1,000 people only, we tried to do everything to be able to welcome supporters anyway, while it would have been easier to do a total closed session as in Bordeaux », Explains the club.

There will therefore be 1,000 seats for spectators, accredited persons are not taken into account.

Despite the drop in the number of spectators in the stands, OM intends to make new requests for exemption.

“Our proposal is to divide the 67,000 seats into four perfectly distinct stands of 5,000 people,” said Olympique de Marseille for its next matches.

A waiver had been requested by OM, before this match postponed because of contaminations of players with Covid-19, finally refused.

Olympians will have to get used to playing in an empty stadium, or almost.

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  • Marseilles

  • Covid 19

  • Support

  • Coronavirus

  • Velodrome stadium

  • League 1

  • Sport

  • OM