The Fans: Not a Fan

By: Inara | September 11th, 2007

Sorry for the lack of posting, but in between a hectic week and manning the main Offside blog yesterday, I’ve been neglecting this blog. But never fear, I’m back, and there is so much more to write about! Aulas has announced the plans for Lyon’s new stadium, new Liverpool reserve recruit Damien Plessis had some choice words for his time at Lyon, and of course a progress report on OL’s internationals. But before I do that, I have a few more interviews I would like to share with all of you.

Our next interviewee is Joanna, who is NOT a Lyon fan but still has plenty to say about Les Gones. Joanna is a Marseille fan coming from generations of Marseille fans. She and I “met” over email - she sent me some very helpful links regarding French football, and we have been corresponding ever since.

Tell us about yourself. You say that OM is in your blood. What does that mean?

Simply that growing up, the only sport that mattered in my house was football, and the only team that mattered was OM. Marseille is quite a unique city in France - despite it being a French city, it is a foreign town, filled with many immigrants from North Africa and Italy. Many people here think of Marseille first, then our family’s country of origin, and then France. It’s why many of us are crazy about OM but not necessarily for the French National Team.

Marseille is also France’s biggest footballing city. Nowhere else in the country will you find people so passionate about the sport - no offense but the Stade de Gerland and the Parc de Princes are nothing compared to the Velodrome!

Marseille were traditionally France’s most successful team, but the club went downhill after their Champions League win in 1993 (note: Marseille were relegated to Ligue 2 due to a match fixing scandal). How does that affect you as a supporter?

It is disappointing that OM have not won a title in fifteen years, but being loyal to a team means supporting them even when they are losing. It’s also hard because before every season begins, Marseille are always announced as Lyon’s biggest competitor, but somehow their campaign falls apart while Lyon manages to keep going.

How do you feel about Lyon?

It’s mixed. I’m rather glad that France has at least one team that can compete with the bigger clubs in Europe. But I’ll also admit that I get tired of seeing Lyon win Le Championnat every year. Another thing I don’t like is that nowadays, most people think of Lyon when they think of French football. But Marseille is the only club with a European pedigree. So it annoys to see Lyon as the sole representative of France.

Unlike Marseille, St. Etienne, and even PSG, Lyon is not a sympathetic club. There is something cold and unapproachable about them, maybe it’s their insistence on perfection, or maybe it’s the cold-blooded way they win their games, but it’s refreshing to see Lyon when they regain their humanity (when they lose).

I also wonder how many fans Lyon would have if they stopped winning. Last year, their fans booed them at home against Rennes even though they unofficially won the title. I can tell you one thing, and that is even if Marseille never win a trophy again, I would never trade OM fans for OL fans.

At the beginning of the year, Marseille were slated to be the team that finally dethroned Lyon. What do you think happened?

It’s puzzling, but I think it’s just taking a long time for the team to connect and develop fluidity. Everyone thought that Marseille carried about the best summer mercato, bringing in Givet, Ziani, and Cisse. Ribery left, but it was better to sell him than keep an unhappy player. With Nasri taking more of an important role in the team, Marseille’s team has the most quality in the league, besides Lyon. I would even go so far as to say that the teams are closely competitive to each other. In theory, Marseille should be doing as well as Lyon, since both teams are above the others in Ligue 1.

I won’t blame Emon, because without him Marseille might not have qualified for the Champions League at all. And I think Emon is as good of a coach as Alain Perrin, or perhaps even better. But I have the sinking feeling that it will be Perrin lifting the trophy in May, not Emon. Still, I won’t give up hope on Marseille. We got second place last year with a day to spare, and I’m confident that even if we can’t win the title, we’ll still be able to make Lyon feel very uncomfortable.

The media claim that Lyon robs L1 of its talent. Do you agree?

To an extent, yes. Lyon offer better wages and are more of an attractive prospect for young, ambitious players seeking a place on the national team or in a bigger club. Once Lyon enter negotiations, it’s difficult for other French clubs to compete. They always get their pick of the best French talent. Players like Mathieu Bodmer, Kim Kallstrom, and Nadir Belhadj are willing to sit on the bench at Lyon, though they would be starters at any other club. And then you see players like Alou Diarra, Benoit Pedretti, and Jeremy Clement, who were wasted away on the bench and had to move to a smaller club because they weren’t being played by Lyon. The only good thing is Lyon’s inability to lure players from abroad. If they were bringing in players like Nicolas Anelka or David Trezeguet, Ligue 1 would be more unbalanced than it already is. I’m secretly glad that Lyon are having recruitment issues.

Lyon and Marseille will be L1’s sole representatives in the Champions League this year. How do you think they’ll do?

I think Marseille has a decent chance to get the second spot in the group. Liverpool will obviously be the group winners, but Porto isn’t as frightening as they used to be, and I believe we are a better team than Besiktas. We have the Velodrome, and I think even Liverpool will have a hard time there. So we’ll see.

As for Lyon, I thought it was the group of death at first, but I think Lyon will manage to qualify. They are a better team than Stuttgart and Rangers, and who knows, they might even shock Barcelona the way they did against Real Madrid.

Is there a particular Lyon player that you like? Or dislike?

It’s hard not to like Juninho. He might be playing for Lyon, but his presence in France is a boon for the entire league. He’s been around for a long time, and though I hate it when he plays well against Marseille, I would be sad if he left. I also admire Karim Benzema and wish he was at Marseille to play with Samir Nasri. What a lethal combination those two would make. He’s probably the best player to ever come out of Lyon’s academy and one of the few OL players I genuinely want to be successful.

What is your opinion on Jean-Michel Aulas? Savior or devil in disguise?

I will be truthful and say that part of my dislike of him is motivated by jealousy, because if Marseille had JMA as a president, we would have won the Champions League several times over. I sometimes think about the weird twist in fate that had Bernard Tapie convince JMA to take over Lyon in the late eighties. I admire the way JMA runs his club. Lyon are able to keep going regardless of the change in manager and the change in players. Marseille lost only one player of note [Ribery] and we still haven’t been able to pick up the pieces.

Maybe Lyon aren’t as strong as last year, but it’s clear that there is something elusive that separates the two teams on the pitch. Maybe it’s their mentality, or maybe it’s the water they drink, but I think it’s the confidence that JMA has in his club. No matter how disappointing Lyon are sometimes, such as their last few exits from the Champions League, he’s always supportive of his team (I acknowledge his efforts at taking the pressure off his coach and players by deflecting the criticism on himself - something that Pape Diouf rarely does).

Still, he’s a devil. It’s very easy to hate him, and I think only a Lyonnais can love him. He’s a brilliant businessman and the sole reason for Lyon’s success, but he seems to want Lyon to be successful at the expense of all other French clubs. And the things he says sometimes. It’s no wonder he and Raymond Domenech are friends! He’s so arrogant that I just want to see Lyon lose to wipe that smirk off his face.

Sidney Govou: a waste of space or a brilliant and misunderstood player?

I get the feeling you don’t like Govou, Inara. For me, I consider Govou to be a dangerous player when he is in form. He doesn’t create much and hardly scores, but he is a handful against opposition players, and he keeps defenders busy, which allows his teammates to slip inside the box. Of course he is no Ribery, but I’ve never minded his presence on the national team and think he has a lot to offer. Still, I would say that Govou isn’t as frightening to play against as even Keita or Ben Arfa.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I think that this year there is a real title race, and I’ve very excited to see how everything unfolds towards the end of the season.