The Coupe de France and the Olympique de Marseille is a beautiful love story. But it is also cruel and filled with defeats in the final. The 1940 edition is the perfect example.
Organized in the particular context of the Second World War, the Coupe de France -- renamed Charles Simon Cup -- took place during the 1939-1940 season and despite the absence of several players, Olympique de Marseille and 135 other French clubs participate.
5 VICTORIES IN FRENCH CUP
OM -- already crowned with five trophies (1924, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1938) -- eliminated four clubs of the South-East zone. OM enters the competition against Nimes in the knockout round in December 1939 (5-1 a.p). The club then eliminates Montpellier in the round of 32 in January 1940 (0-2) and Nice in February (3-2) in the round of 16.
A month later, OM beat Sète in the quarter-finals (1-0). In the semi-finals, it is a real offensive festival that sees Les Olympiens defeat Lens, 9-1, on 7 April 7! Marseille's Emmanuel Aznar is particularly distinguished in scoring five goals. OM then began to dream of a sixth Coupe de France.
RACING CLUB DE PARIS, THE HARSH ONE
In the final, the Provencal club faces the formidable Racing Club de Paris on 5 May, 1940, team that achieved the double Cup Championship in the 1935-1936 season. The final, being played at the Parc des Princes in front of 25,969 spectators, sees the RC Paris victorious home. But it is the players of the country who opened the scoring in the 16th minute through striker Emmanuel Aznar on a cross by Georges Dard (0-1, 16).
René Roulier responded to the Phocaeans by equalizing less than 10 minutes later with a shot (1-1, 25). A goal scored at the edge of the offside line. Parisian goalkeeper Rudi Hiden’s high-flying performance was to the dismay of Les Olympiens that day. It is necessary to wait the last 20 minutes of the meeting to see the match to see the winner. Henri Hiltl fed Jules Mathé and, once again on the verge of offside, the French international gives the advantage to RC Paris (2-1).After 1934, Marseille were defeated for the second time in the final of the Coupe de France. Cruel !
