THE VITALS:

Team: Olympique de Marseille (Marseille)

Brand: Adidas

Era: 2007-08 (Used for the 2007-08 Ligue 1 season)

Name/Number: -

CONDITION: EXCELLENT

The shirt is still in excellent condition with the sponsor, crest and Adidas embroidery and shirt material remaining in incredible standing in spite of the age of the shirt!

DIMENSIONS:

Size: 34/36

Pit to Pit Measurement: 19.5 inches

Shirt Length: 27 inches 

Made by Adidas in their ‘ClimaCool’ range of shirts which they released in 2007; these shirts were made at the peak at Adidas’ notorious range of baggy-fitting shirts and as they dimensions suggest, this shirt may very well fit someone who enjoys a fitted size medium shirt!

DESCRIPTION:

After three seasons where Adidas implemented the cross of Marseille’s city crest into their home shirts; the 2007-08 season iteration would strictly feature Adidas’ distinctive template that season. Never to deviate too far from the script; this shirt takes the salient tribal slashes and colours them sky blue, implementing them beautifully against the classic white back drop. This would also be the last home shirt to feature the N9UF sponsor for the domestic games. This short would be worn as ‘OM’ played Champions League football for the first time since the 2003-04 season, however, as was the case that season, Marseille would have to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup at the end of the Group Stage. Eric Gerets’ appointment would see him take the club from the bottom of the table to secure a more than credible 3^rd place finish! This would be first ‘OM’ home shirt to be worn by the likes of Benoit Cheyrou, Bolo Zenden and Gael Givet in what was the latter two players only season with the club as well as the final home shirt adorned by Samir Nasri!

THE SEASON:

Marseille’s recent domestic upward trajectory continued in the 2006-07 season as they finished as Ligue 1 runners-up for the first time since the 1998-99 season, however, a 17 point gap still separated them and champions – Olympique Lyonnais which showed still how much work there was to do.

Their cause ahead of the 2007-08 season would be dealt a huge blow as they lost their most prized asset – Franck Ribery to Bayern Munich in a €30 million deal, while club staples: Mickael Pagis, Salomon Olembe and Habib Beye also moved on in the summer of 2007. Albert Emon would see positional replacements: Benoit Cheyrou, Boudewijn Zenden, Jacques Faty and Gael Givet arrive, while Djibril Cisse’s loan move from Liverpool was also made permanent after a fine 15 goal haul in all competitions last season.

Coming into the new Ligue 1 campaign having won their final 7 league games in what was a 9 match unbeaten streak going back to April 2007; the new season began in nothing short of disastrous form – winning just 2 of their opening 13 games! Albert Emon would be dismissed in September 2007 with the club at the bottom of the table with Eric Gerets coming in as his replacement on 25^th September.

After a very sticky start of his own, Marseille would stun champions – Lyon 2-1 at the Stade de Gerland on 11^th November, and this inspired the club to end 2007 unbeaten with 4 wins and 2 draws to end the year in 11^th place. Although they would fall to defeat against Rennes on their return to Ligue 1 on 13^th January; OM would enjoy a fantastic 2008 portion of the season wining 11 of their 19 games and losing just 3 times! Along the way came exceptional wins over: Paris Saint Germain, Lyon and AS Monaco as they held off Nancy to secure a 3^rd place finish!

Marseille’s quest to win a first domestic competition since 1989 would have to wait another season as ‘OM’ flattered to deceive in either the Coupe de la Ligue or the Coupe de France. Auxerre would eliminate Marseille in Coupe de la Ligue quarter final, and after 2 season’s of finishing runners-up in the Coupe de France; Marseille would bow out this term in a stunning upset in the Round of 16 on penalties by USJA Carquefou!

The European adventure would begin in Group A of the UEFA Champions League Group Stage alongside – Liverpool, FC Porto and Besiktas. The campaign started exceptionally with wins over Besiktas and Liverpool at Anfield, before being held at home by Porto. Marseille would lose each of their next 3 games to be pipped to 2^nd place by Liverpool. Their UEFA Cup journey would end similar circumstances, after they beat eventual winners – Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-1 at home in the 1^st Leg of their Round of 32 clash, only to be beaten 2-0 in the 2^nd Leg and suffer an away goal elimination.

The notable players that season were:

Djibril Cisse, Andre Ayew, Mamadou Niang, Hatem Ben Arfa, Mathieu Valbuena, Samir Nasri, Boudewijn Zenden, Benoit Cheyrou, Karim Ziani, Kanga Akale, Milos Krstic, Lorik Cana, Charles Kabore, Renato Civelli, Taye Taiwo, Julien Rodriguez, Jacques Faty, Pape M’bow, Leyti N’Diaye, Ronald Zubar, Steve Mandanda, Cedric Carrasso