Olympique de Marseille finishes 2nd in the 2019-2020 Ligue 1 Season
Following the government officials' decision to stop all sports competitions in France for health reasons, the LFP board of directors reached a nearly unanimous decision to end the 2019-2020 season. In accordance with the statutes of the League, the council also froze the final standings in the League table, meaning that Olympique de Marseille finishes in 2nd in the Ligue 1 table and therefore qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The Club wishes to congratulate the champions of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, PSG and Lorient.
Like all of football, from the players to the supporters, Olympique de Marseille would have preferred to finish this championship on the pitch, but the unprecedented pandemic has had an impact everywhere. The future depends on the health considerations enacted toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finishing second in Ligue 1 ends a season full of emotion, which saw Olympique de Marseille go 14 games without defeat, a performance it had not achieved since the 2009-2010 season (15 games without defeat). The club has remained in second since November 10, 2019.
Before the suspension of the matches, OM recorded its best average attendance at the Orange Velodrome (53,039 spectators per match), a result which places OM in the European top-20 behind Liverpool, confirming its status as a European leader and a major player in French football. The club would like to thank, in particular, its supporters and all supporters groups. This 12th man so important, undoubtedly the best supporters in France, whose role in the success of this season has been decisive.
The club also wishes to thank the entire First Team and staff and, in particular, André Villas Boas for his very high level work. The performance on the field is also the fruit of hard work of the club's employees behind the scenes, in all areas, including the front office.
The club underlines how the Academy of Olympique de Marseille has taken a new identity and is now at the center of the project. The 2019/20 season has indeed confirmed the fact that the best young talents developed by OM now feature in the First Team. Nearly 8 young players from the academy have developed into an integral part of the First Team this season, a first for the club in the 21st century.
Finally, the OM supporters community has never been so large on social media. More than 13 million fans have come together to live their passion, which again places OM in the European top-20. The number of followers has increased by 76% since April 2017. This strong enthusiasm can be seen in television audiences: at mid-season, 6 of the 10 best viewership numbers had been achieved during an OM match.
But this result should not allow us to forget the current difficulties experienced by the French in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. In this context, football must obviously take second place. This is why all the lifeblood of the club have been involved since the beginning of the crisis with our community through social, economic and health care. More than ever, actions of solidarity will continue and intensify over time. Olympique de Marseille wants to be faithful to its values, those of a united and popular club, close to people, and aware of its eminent responsibility.
Olympique de Marseille once again thanks all its supporters and partners, and cannot wait to be reunited as soon as the conditions allow it, to celebrate in the Champions League.
Jacques-Henri Eyraud: “In these delicate times, football appears to be secondary. But my duty as a leader is to prepare for the future despite everything. This second place confirms our strategy. After having completed the first phase of our plan, with massive investments to relaunch the club, we are now entering the second phase with sporting performance, quality of infrastructure and a training center in very clear progress. We must now take up the challenge of the economic sustainability of our model. All of OM's employees, whom I deeply thank for their dedication, are now planning for next season, they will see us take a new course."
Frank McCourt: "From Marseille to New York, we are facing the same pandemic and sharing the same difficulties. Such situation reminds us why we need to stand together and why OM is more than just a football club to Marseille community. I am very proud of all the initiatives that the club is currently implementing to support hospitals and people in need locally.
The sports world is not like a long quiet river. When I bought OM, I knew there would be ups and downs, but our long-term vision goes beyond these everyday contingencies. Less than four years after taking over the club, we have qualified for the Champions League after playing a Europa League final. Congratulations to the teams, this means we are on the right track. I look forward to sharing the years to come alongside the wonderful supporters of OM, they are the soul of this club I love, with its passion, its uniqueness, and that I'm supporting in its quest of excellence."
