The Olympique de Marseille had a week full of events, starting with Joel Ordóñez’s contract extension with Club Bruges until 2029. This decision, despite OM’s strong interest and an important financial proposal, confirms the player’s attachment to his current club and could be used to value a future transaction. At the same time, the Phocéan club managed to recruit Matt O’Riley from Brighton through a loan without purchase option, an operation orchestrated with discretion and motivated by the need to strengthen the midfielder with a profile similar to that of Adrien Rabiot. The arrival of this player comes in a context where OM seeks to remain competitive and explore new avenues to meet its needs.

OM was also at the heart of a controversy during its match against Real Madrid in the Champions League. A controversial arbitral decision, a penalty granted to the Madrilenes following a hand of Facundo Medina, aroused strong reactions, notably from Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool player. According to him, this decision was unfair and ruined the solid performance of OM, which had opened the score. Despite an encouraging performance and possession of a superior ball, Roberto De Zerbi’s team finally succumbed to a double of Kylian Mbappé, after seeing Dani Carvajal evicted.

Finally, OM left Santiago Bernabéu with a 2-1 defeat, despite brave performance and frank opportunities. Timothy Weah had opened the score for the Olympians, but the Madrilenes responded quickly. Geroinimo Rulli’s team showed defensive strength, but a Medina hand allowed Real Madrid to score a second goal. Despite the efforts of the Marseille players in the last minutes, they failed to reverse the situation. This defeat leaves a bitter taste, but highlights the OM’s potential for further competition in the Champions League.