The OM TEAM and STAFF

[ZoltaR]

Goalkeepers
N°33 Peggy Arphexad
N°16 Fabien Barthez
N°30 Jérémy Gavanon

Defenders
N°3 Taye Ismaila Taiwo
N°27 Koji Nakata
N°19 Rémi Ribault
N°28 Leyti N'Diaye
N°2 Leonardo de Matos Cruz "Leo"
N°5 Frédéric Déhu
N°4 Demetrius Ferreira
N°23 Habib Beye
N°33 Philippe Christanval
N°21 Johnny Ecker
N°12 Abdoulaye Meite

mildfielders
N°11 Fabrice Fiorèse
N°18 Eduardo Costa
N°13 Ahmed Yahiaoui
N°22 Samir Nasri
N°33 Fabien Camus
N°8 Bruno Cheyrou
N°17 Benoît Pedretti
N°20 Laurent Batlles
N°25 Sylvain N'Diaye
N°15 Salomon Olembe
N°6 Brahim Hemdani

Attaquants
N°29 Karim Dahou
N°14 Peguy Luyindula
N°7 Steve Marlet
N°26 Habib Bamogo
N°10 Sergio Contreras Pardo "Koke"
N°36 Rachmane Barry

Le staff
coach: Philippe Troussier
Goalkeepers coach: Laurent Spinosi
physic coach: Georges Gacon
physic coach: Roger Propos
Kiné Alain Soultanian
Kiné Jérôme Palestri
Médic Joël Coste
Médic Roger Laurenzi

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Entré en jeu à la 61e minute, Habib Bamogo a du céder sa place sur blessure à Ahmed Yahiaoui un quart d’heure plus tard. «Il souffre d’une déchirure ou d’un claquage au muscle de sa cuisse, a précisé Philippe Troussier, c’est la même blessure que celle qui l’avait éloigné des terrains pendant plusieurs semaines». La durée de l’indisponibilité du joueur n’a pas été précisée.

entered in the game at the 61st min., Habib Bamogo had to be replaced by Ahmed yahiaoui 15min later. " he suffers from a rip in his leg muscle,said p Troussier, it's the same kind of injurie that keeped him away from the pitch for severals weeks".The lenght of his unavailableness( :confused: ) wasn't revealed.

[MetroChile]

(Excuse my broken French but I will try my best to get my question across.)
Est-ce que on peut donner moi information de Ahmed Yahiaoui? Son position, son characteristics de jouer, age, etc...?
Metro

[lefutur]

Samir Nasri really impressed me against PSG.

Is there any talk of him being called up to the national team any time soon?

[ZoltaR]

Samir Nasri really impressed me against PSG.

Is there any talk of him being called up to the national team any time soon?
i dont think so
as he's only 17 he plays for the "espoirs" ( under20years) france national team.
i think if he does a good seasons for the two next years he will have his chance..

[jppp]

Surprise surprise, there are already rumors with Nasri being on Mourinho's summer buying list. I hope he stays at Marseille for a few years.

[ZoltaR]

Jean Fernandez and his OM (1/2)
A standard interview that became an incredible voyage, full of emotions, memories and anecdotes... Check out Part 1 of the interview that will appear in full in OMmag No. 9, next week.

Living and breathing OM - that’s how we can sum up the relationship between Jean Fernandez and his club. When you meet the native of Mostaganem in Algeria, you can’t doubt the sincerity and the passion that he holds for the Blue and White. We could even call it a love affair - an affair which began in 1975, when while playing in the second division for Béziers, the midfielder joined Marseille’s ranks. “You know, I often tell my players how lucky I am. I had the chance to play for this club from 1975 until 1980. I’m lucky, firstly, because I played here, then because I coached here and then when they called me back to coach here again this year. I never stop telling them that all the coaches, the staff, the players, that pass through this club are marked by their experiences at OM. That’s what happened to me. Marseille is the capital of football par excellence. Nowhere else can you find such fervour, such passion. This year we beat Deportivo La Coruna in the final of the Intertoto Cup and the atmosphere inside the Stade Vélodrome was better than that when Lyon beat Real Madrid! When we win here the feeling is unique.”. And he’s talking from experience because he won the Coupe de France with OM in 1976, beating Lyon 2-0.

Today he passes on his love of the club to his players: “Take Sabri Lamouchi. He’s not only played for France’s biggest clubs but also the biggest in calcio (Inter Milan). He told me recently that just before he signed for us they told him he would experience some incredible moments. He was expecting it, but he still wasn’t ready for the intensity of it. When I hear one of players say that, I’m happy.” . When we have such an attachment to a club, and when we have to leave, it obviously leaves its mark: “When I leftr OM and I played for Bordeaux and Cannes I never felt the same emotion.” However, it was written that the affair would not end there: “When I left I swore to myself that I’d be back as a coach, and I did it.”

It was actually at the start of the 90s that Jean Fernandez made his first comeback. While he was at the helm at Cannes, he was proposed the position of assistant coach. Many would have refused, but not him. For OM he was ready to do anything. It was a gift from a certain Bernard Tapie one Christmas evening: “I remember it very well. At the time the club needed an assistant to help Raymond Goethals. I’d been coaching at Cannes for four years. Imagine December 25, quietly at home, celebrating Christmas with my family when I get a phone call from Bernard Tapie. We spoke for two hours. We talked about the world and about OM… I was head coach at Cannes and he offered me an assistant’s position at OM. I told him: ‘Don’t move, I’m on my way!’” Later, Jean took over the top job for several months, before taking over a supervisor’s position. It didn’t matter what job was offered, Jean was happy. Happy to be in the club he cherished. When we ask to look back on that period, there’s not even a hint of ill-feeling.



“I experienced two incredible seasons,” he insists. “At that time at OM, we were changing coaches every six months, so I did my six months too (laughter). I took over from Raymond who then came back to replace me. Then I took over the role of supervisor. I take a very positive image from that period because every role I had, I gave it everything – that’s my mentality. I also felt like I was serving my club, the club I hold so close to my heart… In sporting terms it was the best time of my career, we made the final in Bari, we won several French championships and we won the Champions League in 1993…”

In 1993 Jean had to get used to the idea of leaving again. And yet again he told himself he’d be back. “I’ll tell you a secret: I always had, deep inside, something pushing me to say I’d return to OM. Don’t forget that when I left in 1993 I was only 36. I said to myself ‘Go work somewhere else, get some more experience, and you’ll see, you’ll come back here even stronger.’ And that’s what happened. When I left in 1993 I swear there were no hard feelings. I’m not a miserable type and I don’t hate easily. When I left I thanked Tapie for the great moments we’d lived through. Look at Halilhodzic and him suing PSG – that’s not for me.”

After his departure in 1993, a real globetrotter, he would compile a rich list of achievements. With Al Nasr Riyad he would be crowned champions of Saudi Arabia (’94) and win the Asian Cup of Cups (’98). He was Persian Gulf champions (’96) and Saudi Arabia Cup winner (97) with Al Chabab Riyadh. In 1999 he returned to France with Sochaux and then Metz. He return meant matches against the Phocéens. Not easy for this passionate man who admits it always affected him: “When I was at Sochaux or at Metz everyone know that my heart was for OM. It was tough and I always told myself I had to get through the trip to the Vélodrome. I never enjoyed it. We had to win because amassing points is the name of the game but I would prefer to get the points against PSG, Lyon or Monaco, not against OM.”
Returning to the Vélodrome brought back too many memories, too much nostalgia: “When I was on the bench against Marseille I was never comfortable and only after the match was finished could I relax. It was tough because every time it felt like I was returning, but I wasn’t really. It really was very, very tough.”

The proverb “Everything comes to he who waits” fits him like a glove. At the end of last season Pape Diouf and José Anigo gave him a call: “I would even have come on foot if I’d had to.” Coming from him, you know he means it. He would even have done, in spite of the magnitude of the challenge that was awaiting him…

[ZoltaR]

“We had a huge mess to deal with at the start of the season. I remind you that over the last 12 rounds of last season we were the worst team.” We we point out he uses ‘we’ despite the fact that he was at FC Metz at the time, he laughs: “That’s because I always felt as if I was here!” He gives us his first thoughts on the start of the season: “We’re trying to develop our play this season, because the results will stem from that. Then I’m also trying to instil my own football philosophy. My principles of play, of organisation, possession of the ball, winning the all back, finishing our attacks… Then you have to take into account the quality of the squad in order to find the right balance.” Without batting an eyelid he knows and reveals the limits of his squad.

He doesn’t try to hide behind excuses such as financial limitations: “At the start of the season Robert Louis-Dreyfus said to me: “We’re not in the Champions League, we’re not in the UEFA Cup, so you’ll have to sell if you want to buy!” So we made do with what we had.
The first goal was to win the Intertoto Cup. I have no regrets about playing this competition, even if it had a negative effect on the league.”
Modestly, Fernandez never about his tactical decisions: “I don’t feel particularly satisfied when they congratulate me for having played Habib Beye in midfield because if we’d lost in Moscow everyone would have criticised me. We won the match and that why people say I made the right choice.”(laughter)

What’s different about him is that the Phocéen coach is above all a supporter of his club. And as a supporter the match against PSG was a very special moment:
“I’ll tell you a secret(he blushes) I wanted to win that game because it was PSG and because like all the supporters, I want to beat them. That game, even if I never said anything in the press… when I saw the calendar come out I assure you had October 15 lighting up my head!!! I knew all the stats from the previous seasons and I knew how much it meant to everybody. You know, I have a pretty simple life. When I leave the Commanderie I go straigt home and vice versa. I don’t cross a lot of people, but the few that I did meet all said the same thing: ‘We have to beat PSG!!’ In the week leading up to the clash I told José (Anigo) I’m ready to bet you big, but you’ll see, we’ll win this weekend. And that’s what happened.



As he retells the story of that match, it’s as though it happened only yesterday. Filled with tiny details, he remembers everything. He takes us through all again.
“Now that that match is won we can move onto our next goal: finish above PSG on the table!” (Laughter) More than win, he highlights the importance to the supporters. “It’s there that we see how ucky we are to have this job. Obviously the three points were important, but the most important thing was the joy it brought to our supporters.
I tell my players every day how lucky we all are because we can bring such joy to the people of Marseille. When we know that, we can’t cheat them… when we see the atmosphere in the Stade Vélodrome, the travelling supporters…
To give such joy for 90 minutes is incredible!!
I’ve met supporters who were in the USA and followed the match and were so happy… it really warms your heart!!”

We you talk with jean Fernandez you can tell he’s a happy man.
“Of course I’m happy. Happy to be here, pure and simple. There’s nothing I can do about it, OM is in my blood! When I chat with my friends and tell them anecdotes, 90% of the time they’re about OM. (More laughter) When I see my brother and how hard it is for him to provide his family and three kids. Me, everyday I wake up happy and fulfilled. I get to go and train my football team and talk football all day with my staff and the journalists etc. You know what I’d really like? I love to be the Guy Roux of OM, to stay for 20 at this club that I love so much.”

Jean Fernandez is, in his way, an artist. He only lives for his passion, he loves talking football, and of course to chat about his ‘OM’. A sensitive man, he doesn’t forget to underline the importance of his family. The family, we imagine, that lets him escape the everyday routine of ‘OM’, but that’s not the way it is.
« You know, I often say that for footballer to be good he has to have a good family life. His wife plays a very important role in this.It’s the same for me. She’s happy, because she knows I am and that I’m fulfilled. She likes the sport and is a supporter and comes to every match at the Vélodrome. She suffers with me when the results aren’t there. She’s happy when we win, she knows that my happiness is OM so she respects that and helps me. I only think about one thing: the success of OM, from when I wake up in the morning I think about what I’m going to do that day and in the evening I think about what we did. She looks after all the day-to-day problems, she changes the oil, deals with the parking tickets, the bills… In one way she contributes to the success of the team because she allows me to concentrate 100% on OM!!”

[ZoltaR]

Niang: Top scorer for December
Mamadou Niang topped the goalscoring charts for December and is in line for the "Trophée des buteurs" started by the LFP and the newspaper Le Parisien - Aujourd'hui en France. The Senegalese player scored three goals in the last
With three goals against Nancy, Auxerre and Strasbourg, Mamadou Niang received the "Trophée des buteurs" for December. The award, jointly presented by the LFP and Le Parisien - Aujourd'hui en France, is given to the top scorer of each month as well as the Ligue 1 top scorer come season's end.

Mamadou Niang succeeds Habib Bomogo, the November winner. The Olympian striker will receive the award before OM-Lens (04/01, Rd. 20)

The rules: The winner is the player who scored the most goals in the month. In case of a draw, the following criteria will be applied:
- He he scored the least goals by penalty
- He he scored his goals over the greatest number of matches (consistency)
- He who has played the fewest minutes

[ZoltaR]

Fernandez: "Show that OM stands for something"
During the show, 'The Coach's Eye', Jean Fernandez casts his eye over the victory in Strasbourg and laid down the goals for 2006. "We ready and waiting," he said regarding the Mercato.

The win against Strasbourg means Marseille can spend a merry Christmas without any regrets...
This win was very important for us. We were walking into a trap which would have complicated matters for us if we'd lost. Despite a poor first half where Strasbourg could easily have gone ahead had Fabien Barthez not made a string of decisive saves, but we reacted well after the break and got all three points.

In the first half we saw the OM players dominated by their opponents. What did you say to them during the half time break?
Just as it was against Nancy, I thought we were lacking aggressiveness in winning the ball back. We started playing 4-4-2, but after the break I switched to three defensive midfielders with Oruma and Nasri on the wings. We created a lot more chances and the midfield won everything.

Despite dominating the second period, OM were under pressure right to the end...
In the last second of the match Strasbourg should have scored. Luckily Fabien was alert to the danger and Taiwo had raced into the middle to force Farnerud into shooting. It should never have happened and we've got to work on the tactical side.

Samir Nasri had another good game...
He was playing his third match in the week but that didn't stop him having a good game in attack, but also in defence where he worked tirelessly. After a tough start to the season he's rediscovered his top form, and he can still improve a lot.

The Mercato opens on January 1. What are OM's plans?
We're ready and waiting. We need to boost our offensive sector with at least one attacker, but perhaps also an offensive midfielder. If there are no departures we can cover Taiwo's trip to the African Cup of Nations with Nakata and Cantereil who are both capable replacements.

Olympique de Marseille are seventh, just one point off second place, what are the objectives for 2006?
First of all, I want to please the supporters. We'll keep working at training to ensure the team is always more and more competitive. My goal is to give this team an identity, to show that Marseille means something.

[ZoltaR]

Nasri: “You can never doubt yourself”
At just 18 years of age, the Marseille midfielder has been impressive each time he’s played. Kept back by Jean Fernandez at the start of the season, he is slowly imposing himself in the starting XI...
http://s.om.net/om/image/article/illustration/7/1347.jpg
After a week off, you resumed training on December 26. How do you feel?
I feel good even if I’m a bit mellow after having an operation on my wisdom teeth during the holidays. But the return to action was good and the camp has let us ease back into it.

Jean Fernandez wanted to conserve you at the start of the season. How did deal with that?
It was hard at the start but I know it was for my own good. You can’t forget that I’m only 18, he didn’t want me to burn out. I never stopped working at training and now it’s paying off.

OM are now seventh in Ligue 1 and qualified for the last 32 in the UEFA Cup. It’s a pretty good record for the first half of the season...
I think we can still improve. We now tough to beat, especially at home. The Velodrome is a fortress again. If we start counting from the sixth week of the season, we’re only two points behind Lyon and we have to keep going like that.

Today you’ve been impressing off the bench and you’re slowly earning a starting role in the team...
On a personal level that’s great. I’ve got the confidence of my coach and the players and that’s very important for me to feel part of the group. I try to pull off things when I play and you can never doubt yourself.

OM plays Lens, second in L1. A win to start the year will be great for the confidence and also keep the run going at the Velodrome...
We can’t afford to let the break upset our rhythm. But the players feel good at training. We’ve gone five games without a loss and it’s important to start the year with another win at home.

What will be the keys to the match?
They are a good team that play good football. They have very skilful players and are very dangerous in attack. It’s the type of match that could turn on the dlightest thing, a dead ball situation... It’s up to us to stay focused and keep it together at the back. We know that up front we have the players to make the difference.

OM are just one point from second place, is a Champions League berth still on the cards?
It’s possible, but we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves. We haven’t forgotten where we’ve come from. After five games we were last and it’s important to take each match as it comes without adding unnecessary pressure. We can’t make the same mistakes as last year where we thought we had a Champions League spot in our pocket. That was why we lost it. We mustn’t get carried away and we have to keep on working.

What are you wishing for this year?
The main thing is that OM keep going ahead. On a personal level I hope to score goals and keep improving.

[ZoltaR]

Mickaël Pagis: "We have to lift"
Scorer against Rennes at the Stade Vélodrome, the Marseille attacker, who also found the route to goal against Ajaccio, has already won over the Olympian fans. Now, against Sochaux, the new recruit has to build on his promising debut...


Against Ajaccio, OM didn’t play well. Your goal could have changed the shape of the game, what went wrong?
We were playing against an Ajaccio side that were applying great pressing. Luckily, we managed to get back on level terms at half-time, but it came against the run of the play. The second half was of the same quality as the first and that’s a shame because we could have achived something there.

Finally OM wasn’t really penalised by that defeat. The other teams at the top of the table failed to win and that allowed you stay in touch...
If we want to have ambition, we can’t lose these types of matches. Even if the other results went our way, the round wasn’t a good one for us and we’re obliged to beat Sochaux thi weekend.

On Saturday you play Sochaux (16th in L1), a team struggling in the standings yet tough to play against. We know that OM finds it difficult to play against these modest outfits...
Yes, but I think the slap received from Ajaccio will help us. Sochaux are coming off the back of a big win and will have more confidence. Everyone’s task will be difficult on Saturday, but we have to lift.

And it’s always hard to play a team fighting against relegation…
Having been at the bottom of the table, I know psychology is an important weapon. The team has the talent, but I think when you play for OM you have to be ready mentally.

What are this Sochaux side’s strengths?
Ilan is a quality attacker, capable of playing with his back to goal or running into space and he’s deadly in front of goal. In midfield, Mickaël Isabey is a player who reads te game well and hard to mark given his size and skill. I think offensively they’re very dangerous and we can’t let them play football.

On a personal note, two goals in two games, you couldn’t have hoped for a better start to your OM career...
It’s true that everything is going right for me personally. It’s important for my new teammates that they know they can use me. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better start.

After three weeks at Marseille, how are you adapting?
I’ve been really well welcomed by the club. It’s a lot easy to play with players who receive you in open arms. For me, it’s a pleasure to play for OM.

When you were at Strasbourg, what did you think about how OM were playing?
It’s a club I always dreamed of playing for. They had a tough start to the league but the great teams can’t stay long at the bottom. They fought back brilliantly, and knowing the coach as I do, I knew they would. After the poor start we can say that OM have had a good season.

At a new club, we often talk about the time it takes to adapt, but that hasn’t really been the case. We felt right from the very first match that you and Toifilou Maoulida were already part of the team...
First of all, when you talk about understanding between players, they have to be complimentary. Whether it’s Toifilou or Mamadou Niang we compliment each other. Then the understanding can develop and I think it will get better and better with each match. When you play in a big team you are constently questioning yourself. Even if the basis is there you have to keep working on it, it’s one of the keeys to succeeding.

For your first match at the Vélodrome you received a very special welcome from the fans...
When I ran onto the field, it was a great moment for me. It amazing to hear the Vélodrome chanting your name and scoring in your first match makes it even better. I hope it happens more than once this season.