The Olympique de Marseille is preparing for a long-awaited return to the Champions League after three years of absence, with an opening shock against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu on 16 September. Nearly 4000 Marseille fans are expected to encourage the team, thanks to seats allocated by UEFA and the organisation of many fans. This challenge will be difficult but playable for Roberto De Zerbi’s team, who will also face Liverpool, Ajax Amsterdam, Atalanta Bergame, Newcastle United, Sporting Portugal, Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Bruges. At the same time, OM owner Franck McCourt expressed his deep concern about the state of French football, criticising the management of the LFP and its lack of long-term vision, particularly in terms of development and European competitiveness.

In terms of transfers, the Algerian international Ismaël Bennacer was officially loaned to Dinamo Zagreb with option of purchase, an opportunity for him to return to playing time after a mixed passage to OM. This decision marks the end of a chapter without real sporting impact for the player and opens a new perspective for his career. In an interview with So Foot, former OM coach Frédéric Antonetti delivered an uncompromising analysis of Marcelo Bielsa’s transition to the club. He praised the character of the Argentine coach but criticized his tactical limits, highlighting in particular the defeat against Caen, which illustrated a lack of balance and efficiency.

Finally, the controversial comments of former Canal+ journalist Pierre Ménes have given rise to intense controversy. Menès shared an anecdote about his son, evoking an environment deemed discriminatory in the youth teams, before generalizing to the current situation of French football and the French team, stressing the predominance of black players. These statements were widely criticized as racist and stigmatizing, causing the outrage of many football personalities and the firm reaction of Djibril Cisse, former attacker of OM and the French team, who expressed his disappointment and misunderstanding on social networks.