Angry Marseille fans displayed banners hostile to the club’s American owner, Frank McCourt, ahead of and during their Ligue 1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
Marseille hosted their bitter rivals at the Stade Velodrome on the back of four consecutive losses in all competitions — with Sunday’s 2-1 loss making it five straight. It’s the first time Marseille have ever lost four of their opening five games in a top-flight season.
Fans mocked the “Champions Project” of McCourt, who aimed to return the club to the summit of French soccer and among the European elite when he took over 10 years ago.
The banners read: “2016: Champions Project. 2026: Ligue 2 Project? McCourt Out.”
Upon arrival at the vibrant southern port city, McCourt pledged to revive Marseille by investing €200 million ($210 million) over four years. Large amounts of money have since been spent on a myriad of players, without success.
The former Los Angeles Dodgers owner bought Marseille in 2016, and the southern club has struggled to achieve stability.
This summer Marseille failed to qualify for the Champions League after a chaotic season, missing out on millions in revenues. Because of financial constraints, the club did not recruit any new players during the summer transfer window, leaving new coach Bruno Genesio with few options.
Marseille dominated domestic soccer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but hasn’t won the French league title since 2010 and has not claimed a trophy since the now-defunct League Cup in 2012.
The match between Marseille and PSG is still considered the biggest in French soccer despite Marseille’s decline in recent years.
Known as “Le Classique,” it became popular during the 1990s when the arrival of big stars in the French league ignited a strong rivalry.
But Marseille, the first French team to win the Champions League back in 1993, has fallen well behind since PSG — now the two-time defending European champion — were taken over by Qatari investors in 2011.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
