The French Football Federation has today formalized the appointment of the referee for the match between Olympique de Marseille and Brest, scheduled Sunday 28 April at 8:45 pm at the Vélodrome stadium. Stéphanie Frappart will be responsible for leading this meeting. The francilienian referee is already familiar with the Marseillais, having acted in two of their games this season. In the first game, OM won 1-3 in Toulouse last August, while more recently they won 2-0 against Nantes at home.
Stéphanie Frappart will be assisted by Ludovic Reyes and Mikael Berchebrou on the keylines. Video support will be provided by Nicolas Rainville and Wilfrid Bien.
The appointment of the arbitrator takes place in a tense context for French arbitration, which has been regularly criticized in recent weeks. Recently, Olympique Lyonnais found himself injured by François Letexier in a derby against AS Saint-Étienne lost 2-1. This has revived the debate on the use of the VAR and the consistency of arbitral decisions in Ligue 1.
OM, currently engaged in an intense struggle for a European qualification, hopes that this meeting will take place without arbitral controversy. Stéphanie Frappart, who is regularly appointed for the major meetings, will have the responsibility to guarantee impartial arbitration in this crucial duel against Brest.
In addition, the Olympique de Marseille decided to modify its preparation program to four days at the end of the championship. Under the leadership of coach Roberto De Zerbi, the Phocéan club leaves its Robert Louis-Dreyfus training centre to perform an extended green setting in Italy. This decision was taken in agreement with the club management, with the aim of optimizing the concentration and cohesion of the group before the decisive matches of this end of season.
The stay will be in the region of Rome, where Roberto De Zerbi retains strong ties. Players will stay in Italy for at least two weeks, with round trips to France organised for official matches. A point will be made after the trip to Lille to decide on the continuation.
This greening is primarily thought of as a time of collective refocusing. At the press conference, the Italian coach clarified his intentions: “With the club, we decided to do everything possible to achieve our goal. There’s no punishment, it’s just a way to get together. At four games at the end, the only thing we can really improve is the state of mind.”