Seven years.
In the world of football, as in life itself, things can happen.
September 2013 in France, François Hollande begins the second year of his five-year term as President of the Republic, Kylian Mbappé is only 14 years old and OM is playing in the Champions League for the last time.
Another time, another time.
For the first time since this period, the Marseille club returns to the most beautiful of the European Cups, this Wednesday evening during his trip to Piraeus against Olympiakos (9 p.m., RMC Sport and Téléfoot) by a certain Mathieu Valbuena .
A nod to history, the former Bleu (36 years old, 52 caps), who was in the last sad Marseille campaign in C1 (six defeats in as many games), will appear in the camp opposite on the lawn of a Karaïskaki stadium deprived of its boiling supporters due to Covid-19.
A constant of this famous world after.
He will also take the opportunity to find Steve Mandanda, Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin, already present at OM seven years earlier and the only survivors in the current squad.
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Not fallen into the toughest group in the Champions League with, in addition to the Greek club, FC Porto and Manchester City, OM are approaching impatient and ambitious their reunion with the cup with big ears.
Behind the ogre that represents - on paper - the band of Pep Guardiola, the Marseille contingent dreams of qualifying in the round of 16 of C1 for its tenth participation.
André Villas-Boas in the lead.
The 43-year-old technician, who brought the Phocaeans back onto the European scene, now intends to exist in a competition with an incomparable resonance with the Europa League or the League 1. To enter even more in the hearts of Olympian supporters and also, by extension, to see his rating go up even further on the technician market, he whose contract at OM expires at the end of the season.
“You can compete in this group,” he plants boldly.
I like to set high goals, we dreamed of this competition, so we aim for the ticket for the eighth. ”
Does OM have the workforce to perform well in Ligue 1 and the Champions League?
To maintain the legend of a club that was built according to its exploits on the Old Continent with the final lost in 1991 against the Red Star of Belgrade and of course the legendary coronation in 1993 against AC Milan , OM must be there.
And bring back - a little - the famous "OM Champions Project" of the American owners, put in the closet in recent months.
One unanswered question remains: is OM's workforce sufficiently armed to face the European challenge and meet the expectations of nostalgic supporters?
Doubts remain with the absence of a powerful striker and a workforce with questionable bench depth in terms of quality more than quantity.
It is also difficult to know if the runner-up to Paris SG last season in Ligue 1 will be able to manage as best as possible a substantial and energy-consuming calendar between the championship and the C1.
Many teams are burning their wings with this sequence and in a group as homogeneous as it is undecided this season in the Champions League, the slightest flaw can quickly obscure the "high" goals of the club.
For his comeback in legend, the 1993 European champion knows his strengths but also his limits.
But will have no excuses.
The trip to Greece seems ideal to start a story again.
In the most beautiful way, of course.
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