Olympique de Marseille: My All Time Best XI

Olympique de Marseille. A team that is steeped in history, and is usually regarded as one of the most recognised clubs, not only in France (being by a considerable amount, the most popular), but also around Europe and across the globe.

Though not exactly titled as a giant in today’s game, Marseille are still revered across the continent, with teams ranging from Barcelona to Bayern Munchen and Arsenal to AC Milan fearing the agonising trips to the beautiful and iconic Stade Velodrome.

Winners of the inaugural Champions League in 1993, Marseille remain the first and only French side to reach that honour, with a brand of stylish, attacking football deployed to sweep away their rivals.

Though the club endured a difficult period throughout the 90s after that triumph due to a match-fixing scandal, the club has re-emerged recently to again take its place among Europe’s elite.Below, is a list of the greatest players to have graced this club.

GOALKEEPER

Fabien Barthez

Arguably the best goalkeeper to have worn the jersey of OM, (although closely fought by current goalkeeper, Steve Mandanda), Barthez’s career was shaped by his early playing days at Marseille.

Until Iker Casillas beat his record in 2000, Barthez was the youngest goalkeeper to win the Champions League, and did so with a string of top saves to deny the likes of Rangers, CSKA Moscow and finally, AC Milan in the final.

The bald headed keeper, best known for his time at Man Utd and with the French national team, left in 1995 as Marseille were forcibly relegated due to match-fixing. Barthez’s touch of madness made him revered by all Marseillaise.

DEFENDERS

Basile Boli

The Ivorian-born French defender will forever be remembered for just one header. Just one. The one that came just before half-time in the 1993 UEFA Champions League Final in Munich.

The one that evaded all Rossoneri, and ultimately proved the difference as a youthful Marseille shocked Fabio Capello’s all-star Milan in the final to lift the greatest club competition in the world. Just for that alone, he deserves his place.Manuel Amoros

The 82 times capped France defender was once voted the best rightback at the 1986 World Cup, but enjoyed two successful spells at Marseille.

A hardened defender who found the perfect mix of defending and attacking on the right flank, Amoros made the wing his own, contributing greatly to Marseille victories over the years.Carlos Mozer

The Brazilian defender might not be known much outside of France and Brazil (he was capped 32 times by the Selecao!), but his sheer defensive ability was in no small part to the side that won five straight Ligue 1 titles between the late 80s and early 90s.

Tackling at every opportunity, the former Benfica man helped Marseille to three of those before calling time on his stellar career at Stade Velodrome to return to Portugal. Eric di Meco

The left-back was undoubtedly the greatest one that Marseille produced, and it was thanks to him (making over 216 appearances) that L’OM could count on their successes.

Whilst Marseille imported talent, di Meco came from within, and ended his career with 5 Ligue 1 titles, 1 Champions League and 1 French Cup.

He stuck with his Marseille blood to later become an MP in the city.

MIDFIELDERS

Didier Deschamps

The man. The captain. The manager. Mr. Marseille himself. Not only arguably the most recognised player the club has produced, Deschamps found fame internationally as the man who lifted the Champions League, World Cup and European Championship as captain.

Famously described as the water-carrier by Eric Cantona, Deschamps won everything that is to win, becoming the youngest EVER captain to win the Champions League.

Returned as manager in 2009, and instantly turned around 17 years of hurt to win the league title and league cup double. Since then, Marseille have won 6 cups in 3 years.Benoit Cheyrou

Might be a controversial pick, since Cheyrou is still a current player. But truthfully, Cheyrou remained at Marseille to steer them from the difficult times and back to the pinnacle of the French game.

A fine midfielder, underrated by most, and a good passer of the ball. Cheyrou, alongside Argentine Lucho Gonzalez proved the catalyst to win the league title in 2010.Chris Waddle

Originally a winger, but we’ll count him as a midfielder here, Waddle excelled at Marseille, and defied the notion that English players can’t play well abroad.

Whilst the likes of Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Owen flopped at Real Madrid, Chris Waddle showed them how to do it in a trophy-laden stint on the south coast.

A superb player who struck fear into every opponent on the continent, Waddle was revered by Marseille fans all over the world. Only joined as a coincidence because English teams were banned from Europe, Waddle will know that the gamble paid off oh so well.

FORWARDS

Josip Skoblar

One of the best forwards to don Marseille colours, the 71 year old Croatian is still at the club as a scout. Back in the 1971 season, Skoblar won the European Golden Boot with 41 goals, a record yet to be beaten in Ligue 1 to this day.

Showered with praise by legendary French striker Just Fontaine, Skoblar has his own place in Marseille history, ending three seasons as top scorer with the club; 138 goals in 151 league games. A record that speaks on its own.Jean Pierre Papin

One of the best strikers ever in the European game, Papin cut his teeth and found stardom with the club. Winning a couple of Ligue 1 titles in a great six year career, Papin came agonisingly close to European glory as Marseille lost the 1991 European Cup final, missing his penalty in a shootout defeat to Red Star Belgrade.

Left Marseille in 1992 after scoring 135 goals in 215 games. As a cruel twist of fate, Papin lost the 1993 Champions League final as part of the AC Milan squad that lost to Marseille.Didier Drogba

There were others, notably Mamadou Niang who struck OM to the title, scoring 100 league goals in 5 seasons. But the sheer impact of Didier Drogba in his one season, is just mesmerizing.

One amazing season, deserves credit. Signed from Guingamp and then sold for £25m to Chelsea just a year later, Drogba scored left, right and centre before hitting 11 in the stellar run to the UEFA Cup final in 2004, losing to Valencia.

Marseille loves him so much that they tried to sign him twice, and will do so again this summer for the man who won the Champions League with Chelsea. Drogba’s shirt, in fact, lies in the cathedral of Marseille.