The Minots period - at the beginning of the 1980s - is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful adventures of Olympique de Marseille. A certain Roland Gransart, player and then coach, was a key element of the crazy story featuring the youth of Marseille.
Born on 1 January 1954 in Marseille, Roland Gransart joined OM at the age of 12. Son of Maurice Gransart, an Olympien from 1948-1961, Roland is passionate about football. He started with OM in 1973 against Red Star and signed his first professional contract with the club in 1974. He played in the Blue and White jersey from 1974 to 1981 as a player and won the Coupe de France in 1976.
COACH/PLAYER OF THE FIRST TEAM
But his most beautiful time with the Provencal club stretched from 1981 to 1984. In April 1981, the club was placed in bankruptcy, the staff was unemployed and players left. President Setta asked Roland Gransart to coach the first team. He accepted and became the youngest coach in club history at the age of 27. But he does not hang up his cleats, instead continues to play in. He then drew from the youth teams and composed a team of Minots.
His team went unbeaten throughout the last six games. Better yet, Les Olympiens wonthree times and got three draws. The results allowed OM to finish sixth in D2. Gransart and his players saved the club. Heroic.
The beautiful run lasted four years and Roland Gransart brought Marseille back to the first division at the end of the 1983-1984 season. The Minots and Gransart did something beautiful. But at the beginning of the 1984-1985 season, the OM coach was sacked. He continued coaching by successively coaching SC Bastia, Gueugnon, Cannes and Martigues. He returned to OM in 2003 to train the reserve team and in 2005, he became director of the training center.
