OM accelerates its international development

Olympique de Marseille and the Diambars Institute in Senegal are joining forces to develop the training and education of young footballers.

For several years, the Diambars Institute in Senegal has been a reference in the world of football in terms of detection, training and support for players. Created in 2000 by Saër Seck, Jimmy Adjovi-Boco and Bernard Lama and inaugurated in 2003, this structure, which could accommodate 32 residents at the beginning of their careers, and has become a key player in African football. Hundreds of talents from the continent have passed through the expert hands of the educators of the Diambars Institute. Today, the Diambars Institute includes a sports-study section and a professional team from the Senegalese first division, which has been awarded several titles.

In its perspective of international development and particularly in Africa, Olympique de Marseille and the Diambars Institute are joining forces to share and exchange their respective knowledge. The OM x Diambars partnership will notably make it possible to improve the support of elite players by instilling the methodology of the Olympian training centre with the regular presence in Senegal of Olympian executives. Senegalese executives will also be received at La Commanderie for technical exchanges. Support will also be provided in the areas of performance and medical.

Saër Seck, President of the Diambars Institute: "This partnership with OM is an important moment. We have taken great care to set up this partnership since it took two years. It is a great satisfaction to be able to partner with OM, which represents an enormous amount for the Senegalese and African public. We grew up around the achievements of Olympique de Marseille and in particular their success in the Champions League.
This partnership will give the Diambars Institute a salutary renewal. It is, once again, a great pleasure to be here in Marseille to sign this partnership.

Jacques-Henri Eyraud, President of Olympique de Marseille: "We are now accelerating OM's international development. And we will focus our energy on Africa, a continent with exceptional potential and a particularly strong football culture. Olympique de Marseille enjoys an immense reputation in Africa. In Senegal, one out of two residents who are interested in football spontaneously cites OM as their favourite team! I am delighted that Diambars will become our bridgehead in West Africa, where OM hope to find its future talent and continue to benefit from the excellence of African football."

THE DIAMBARS INSTITUTE Sénégal IN FIGURES

• 6 pitches - 5 synthetic, 1 natural
• 7 locker rooms
• 15 multi function rooms
• 1 swimming pool
• 1 hall with 2 basketball courts of NBA standard
• 1 weight room
• 1 physiotherapeutic care room
• 140 rooms that can accommodate up to 560 residents
• In 2018, when the Senegal national team qualified for the FIFA World Cup, 6 players had passed through the Diambars Institute : Idrissa Gana Gueye, Papa Alioune Ndiaye, Kara MBodj, Saliou Ciss, Adama Mbengue, Papa Ndiaye Souare
• In the recent U17 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, out of the 21 players representing Senegal, 10 had come from the Diambars Institute
   

Olympique de Marseille IN AFRICA

• A fan base of 3 million fans in Africa on our social networks
• A strong emotional and historical link thanks to the passage of several former African players to the club: Abedi Pele, Taye Taiwo, Didier Drogba, Djamel Belmadi, Mamadou Niang, Stéphane Mbia...
• 2 OM Schools inaugurated in 2019 in Tunis and Algiers with more than 500 registered players
• 6 official Fan Clubs in Abidjan, Tunis, Casablanca, Yaoundé, Douala and Dakar
• Launch of the OM Africa programme in December 2019 to bring the club's supporters closer together and more united on the African continent