Football Capital: A third pitch inaugurated

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On Monday 7 April, the Friche la Belle de Mai pitch was inaugurated in the presence of the President of Olympique de Marseille Pablo Longoria, the CEO of INTERSPORT France Gérard Leclerc and the President of the Friche la Belle de Mai Marc Bollet.

Launched in September 2023, the ‘Capitale du Foot’ (Football Capital) project responds to the specific needs of the territory, namely the rehabilitation of underused or dilapidated facilities to make them sports areas accessible to all.

Under the impetus of Treizième Homme, two pitches have already been inaugurated in 2023 and 2024, respectively in Place de la Major (2nd arrondissement) and in the Vauban district (6th arrondissement).

Olympique de Marseille and Treizième Homme aspire to continue this approach and extend the initiative to other districts of Marseille. The aim is to enable everyone to take part in a sporting activity, whether for pleasure, for health, or simply to spend time in the open air.

Working closely with local areas and everyday practices, INTERSPORT France is deeply committed to encouraging a taste for and the practice of sport, and to making sport more accessible, more inclusive and more sustainable. A partner of the Olympique de Marseille football club since 2009, INTERSPORT France also stands alongside Treizième Homme to support the club's ambitions in terms of democratising the practice of sport, particularly among young people.

The refurbishment of this pitch was made possible thanks to the valuable support of INTERSPORT France, whose visual identity is reproduced on the pitch, and of the Friche la Belle de Mai, a cultural third place that hosts more than 600 events every year. The Friche la Belle de Mai is also known for its spaces and numerous events dedicated to sports and young people, making it a real hub of activity in the 3rd arrondissement of Marseille.

Pablo Longoria, President of Olympique de Marseille: "It is a great source of pride for the club and for Treizième Homme to add another brick to the edifice of the “Capital of Football”. I am convinced that the local residents will bring this pitch to life in the most wonderful way, in a spirit of conviviality, and that they will make it their own. Here, we want to offer everyone a space where sport, and football in particular, is a source of unity, passion and sharing. Olympique de Marseille is not just a football club. We have a real duty to the city and its inhabitants: to give back, through our actions, a part of all that they bring to us with such passion.’

Gérard Leclerc, Chairman and CEO of INTERSPORT France: ‘For more than 100 years, INTERSPORT France has been committed to making sport accessible to all. We support more than 20,000 amateur clubs in France on a daily basis and our members are particularly involved in local sports. We are proud to work alongside our partners, Olympique de Marseille and Treizième Homme, to renovate this field and contribute to making sports more accessible.’

Alban Corbier-Labasse, General Manager La Friche la Belle de Mai: "Sport at La Friche has a long history, with areas dedicated to urban sports for almost 10 years now, but also with daily work in conjunction with our partner associations to make sport a tool for social cohesion, diversity and inclusion. This partnership with Treizième Homme and INTERSPORT France is a great opportunity for our venue to be even better identified as a space for sports and for meeting up to discuss related social issues.’

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