A mourning Marseille team beats Le Havre.

By: Magnusson | August 28th, 2008

It was supposed to be a happy reunion for Marseille players such as Steve Mandanda and Mamadou Niang. Both players have been formed at Le Havre and were coming back for the first time in a long time. In the wake of his more than impressive International debut, Steve Mandanda was coming back to his roots with his new team. He would fae the keeper who “taught” him for two seasons, Christophe Revault. For Mamadou Niang, fate had it that he would play his 200th Ligue 1 match in his hometown, where he arrived as a 10 month-old baby and grew up. That’s where all began and he would come back in front of all his family for the first time in his career.

But there wouldn’t be any celebration of any sport. At around 7.45 A.M. Saturday morning, around Fontainebleau near Paris, a bus containing 47 fans of the MTP (Marseille Trop Puissant) supporter association hit a bridge’s pillar and two fans, Lahcene Lazeb et Imad-Eddine Boettgenbach died, four others still fighting for their lives.

After an attempt by both teams to have the game postponed was refused by the league, not much was to be expected by both sides. One of the most speaking images, President Pape Diouf, his body visibly marked by the pain, came to face his supporters and to talk to them. But the usually eloquent president choked on his own words and could not stop the tears.
With presidents and players as well as fellow fans seen sobbing before the game, it was one of those times that even a football match can’t make you forget what just happened.

In an incredibly courageous act on her part, the wife of one of the victims came and gave the game ball to the referee. A very emotional moment if ever there was one.

In what was a more than lackluster game, Marseille won, nobody cared.

More tomorrow for the Brann Bergen game.

(Edit – Having had problems with my own internet connection, I haven’t been abler to post as many posts as I wished I can. As soon as I get a more decent flow, I’ll send in posts about the Brann game itself, our signing of Mamadou Samassa and our incredible Champions League draw)