The fear was palpable, almost legitimate. Returning to the Vélodrome with the jersey of the Lensois leader, in a decisive match for OM, could have transformed Florian Thauvin into an ideal target. But Marseille has memory, and often more heart than resentment. This Saturday evening, when the team compositions were announced, the people of Marseille chose their camp: that of recognition. Far from the dreaded whistles, it was a wave of loud applause that accompanied the name of the former Olympian number 26. A sincere ovation for the man who, for seven and a half seasons, gave everything for this coat of arms, alternating individual exploits and moments of doubt with rare fidelity.
A thwarted but real love story
Florian Thauvin and OM is the story of a player who dreamed of being the “ Totti from Marseille. Arriving at the age of 20 after a Homeric standoff with LOSC, he experienced the depths of the Louis-Dreyfus years, forced exile in Newcastle, then resurrection under Rudi Garcia. With 86 goals and 62 assists in 281 matches, he carried the Olympian attack at arm’s length, forming with Dimitri Payet a duo as electric as it was dysfunctional. If the prize list remained blank, the statistics and the commitment do not lie. This evening, the Vélodrome saluted this “Flotov” who, even in the storm, never cheated.
The warm welcome is also explained by the player’s impeccable attitude. In the first leg at Bollaert, Thauvin refused to take a penalty against his favorite club and refrained from celebrating the victory in the Lens locker room. This respect for colors, this modesty in the rivalry, the Marseille supporters have not forgotten it. “He is a player who has always respected our values,” confided a fan before the match. This evening, Marseille returned the favor.
Thauvin moved by the tributes
On the pitch, the emotion was visible on the weathered face of the man who will celebrate his 33rd birthday on Monday. Overwhelmed by memories, Thauvin seemed touched by this mark of affection, he who perhaps feared indifference or hostility. Vincent Labrune, its former president, predicted that he would be ” touch “. He wasn’t wrong. This return is a breath of nostalgia for an entire stadium, recalling a time when OM vibrated to the rhythm of its
“wound from the left”.
But OM remains OM. Once the kick-off was given, kindness gave way to the challenge. As Pierre Sage predicted, the public now supports his team above all. Thauvin once again became, for 90 minutes, an opponent to be neutralized. “If he scores, we will whistle him,” warned a regular from the Ganay stand. Nostalgia has its limits, especially when a place at the top of the table is at stake. But before the war, there was peace. And Thauvin will not forget that.
