Le Classique

Le Derby de France 

 the the   the 

 L'Olympique de Marseille vs. Paris Saint Germain

I must admit its been a while since I last did a piece but a combination of moving back to uni, dissertation and not having the internet in my house have all contributed to the lack of contact. But don’t you fret, Virage Sud is back this weekend to preview the game we have all been waiting for; l'OM vs PSG (enculé), the derby of France! If you don't know how much this game means to both sets of fans then I suggest you take a look at the video below....

Le Classique is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in Europe, which has unfortunately led to a history of nasty incidents and has left the image of this magnificent fixture tainted with violence. In 2000, a Marseille supporter was paralysed for life after being hit by a seat from the PSG section of fans, and in 2009 open battles on the streets of Marseille led to all away fans being banned from future matches between these two clubs. However, this season the ban has been lifted and 400 PSG fans will be allowed to make the long trip to Marseille. Okay, not a large amount, but this is progress and hopefully the years to come will bring the focus back to the football and away from the tensions between the two sets of supporters. If truth be told le Classique is a relatively new derby with its popularity rising in the early 90s as Canal + owner and Marseille president, Bernard Tapie, tried to increase the importance of the game through the media. But this game is so much more than a derby, it’s a rivalry between France’s two biggest cities, a divide between the snobby Northerners and and the down to earth Southerners, and this year the game means that little bit more as for the first season in a long time both Marseille and PSG are sitting pretty at the top of the table. PSG are unbeaten all season and Marseille have won 6 of their last 7 games, their only defeat coming in a shock 4-1 loss away at Valenciennes, the only blip to their best ever start to a Ligue 1 season. So what will the result be? It’s a hard one to call with both teams having played in Europe this week, although Marseille did manage to rest a few players in their 5-1 win over AEL Limassol.  I hope SO SO MUCH it’s Marseille who get the three points but as a self-confessed pessimist I don’t think  this will be the case. I think PSG will edge this one 2-1, with Ibrahimovic getting the winner. He knows what it's like to play in these big games as he scored his fair share of goals in the Milan derby. I hope I’m proven wrong....but we shall see! Allez l’OM and PSG..on va t'enculer!

Skip to to 1.43 to see the Ronaldinho incident