Just in case we were getting bored…

By: Magnusson | December 13th, 2008

So, With the most infamous of our fans out on bail, with the team qualified for the second round of the UEFA CUP (or whatever they want us to call it these days), Marseille was back to the quiet routine of Ligue 1. It was apparently no big deal since we only are facing Lyon this week. Apparently sensing that his teammates were not focused enough on making sure he humiliates when he goes back to Gerland this Sunday, Hatem Ben Arfa decided to light a fire in the already extremly heated relationship marseille and Lyon have been having these past few seasons.

Lighting a fire may be a bit much on my part since hatem handles subtlety so well. The ex-Gone gave an interview this thursday to Lyon newspaper Le Progrès and was more than complementary towards
marseillais fans:

“The excitement around the club is extraordinary. It’s a different world compared to Lyon. I feel the expectations of the people and I want to reward the trust they put in me. There are beautiful things to do here”.

Up until here, nothing out of the ordinary, always favor the fans of the team you’re playing for. But then Hatem Ben Arfa started pinpointing details that don’t make Lyon look very good. The lefty describes how Lyon players often complain of salary tardiness and such:

“It’s their specialty to be a little petty. In the locker room, all the players used to complain that they still lacked something in their pay slip. On that matter, I can assure you that there were no generation conflicts of any kind! We were all pesting. OL lacks class and is not a great club. Ever since I am at Marseille, it’s odd because the figures are correct.”

This is of course a dig at the accountants and lawyers of the Lyon staff who forgot one of the clauses of his contract and forced Lyon to backpedal after they signed an agreement this summer.

Speaking of the main reason he came to Lyon in the first place, Jean-Michel Aulas, Ben Arfa was alittle more restrained even though he apparently likes his new boss better:

“I respect what Aulas did for OL because you cannot win seven championship in a row like that. He is a great businessman, who only believe in his business. Some details in his eprsonnality are annoying, destabilizing. Pape Diouf is more humane.”

But if we knew last year that he ahd problems with Squillacci, Cris and Coupet, Ben Arfa never spoke of Benzema out loud. Then the Clamart boy decided to send some shots at his youth academy roomate:

“That relationship was weird, we talked, then we didn’t. It’s like that(…) He is a very talented player who brings much to the OL. He is not a friend of mine but I respect him. We will play for the first time against each other, and this is a game that gets me excited.” We bet it is Hatem, we bet it is.

Not to be outdone, Benzema also did the whole “We’re not friends but we respect each other” thing. It’s good to see High-School spirit alive and well.

Anyway, if anyone was still wondering how the ambiance would be on Sunday night. Well let me tell you this, Gerland is sold out and Cris came out in the press and said that Lyon would have never lost twice had he been there. Both teams will have major players missing but that won’t make this game any less electric. If there was any more incentive needed, let’s just remind people that if Marseille wins, we’ll take the #1 spot from Lyon, AT Lyon. Now THAT would be a sight to see.

Here’s our team for Sunday:
Mandanda, Riou
Bonnart, Taiwo, Hilton, Zubar, Givet, Rodriguez, Civelli
Cana, Kaboré, M’Bami, Ziani, Zenden, Valbuena, Ben Arfa
Samassa, Koné