Marseille host Salzburg eyeing return to European glory days
MARSEILLE: Quarter of a century on from giving French football its crowning moment in Europe, Marseille are dreaming of continental glory once again.
But the club that won the inaugural Champions League in 1993 – still the only time the European Cup has been won by a French side – must first come through a semi-final against Austria’s Salzburg, with the first leg at the Stade Velodrome today.
If Marseille can win before a sell-out crowd of more than 60,000 today, it will set them up to finish the job in next week’s return leg and keep them on course to make a final that will be played in France, at the home of their bitter rivals Lyon.
Given that Atletico Madrid and Arsenal meet in the other semi-final, Marseille cannot be seen as favourites to lift the trophy.
Nevertheless, the rousing 5-2 win over Leipzig in the second leg of the quarter-finals at the Stade Velodrome confirmed that they are a club on the up again under Rudi Garcia.
The former Lille and Roma coach has spearheaded Marseille’s revival on the field since American tycoon Frank McCourt’s takeover of the club in late 2016.
McCourt immediately launched his “Champions Project”, aimed at getting the club back into Europe’s top club competition again as soon as possible.
They are currently locked in a fierce battle with Lyon and Monaco for two Champions League qualifying berths in Ligue 1 behind champions Paris St Germain.
But with Florian Thauvin in the form of his life, Dimitri Payet at his best again and Brazil midfielder Luiz Gustavo proving an inspired signing, they could yet win the Europa League and, in the process, qualify for the Champions League anyway.
“We are on a winning run, which is important, and now we are going to study Salzburg closely,” said Garcia after a 5-1 weekend win over Lille.
“We want to play with the same degree of enthusiasm, talent and team spirit.
Given PSG’s well documented difficulties in the Champions League, Marseille’s run has given French football a boost, a year after Lyon lost in the last four of the same competition.
This is Marseille’s first European semi-final since 2004, when Didier Drogba’s goals saw off Newcastle in the UEFA Cup before they lost to Rafael Benitez’s Valencia in the final in Gothenburg.
Marseille can be confident, but they will be without influential Japan rightback Hiroki Sakai due to a knee injury, and Salzburg’s run in Europe so far this season means they deserve respect.
On course to win a fifth consecutive Austrian title, Marco Rose’s Salzburg have already drawn with and beaten the French giants in the group stage.
This will be their 19th game in Europe this season, a run that started in the Champions League qualifying rounds and continued on to wins against Borussia Dortmund and Lazio in the last two rounds of the Europa League.