Behind the scenes of the hottest classic in history!

On December 18, 1992, when OM arrived in Paris to face PSG, the atmosphere was electric. A little too confident, the Parisians heated everyone in the press all week. Big mistake. The provocations made their way to the Olympian locker room, where they served as fuel for a team ready to wage real trench warfare. This match will forever remain as one of the most heated in the history of the “classics”, the symbol of a rivalry in the early 90s, Tapie era, a year after the takeover of PSG by Canal+. That evening, it will be a butchery. Immersion behind the scenes of this match, with testimonies from the time, as if you were there.

The Classic PSG OM of December 18, 1992 has been told a thousand times. This time we invite you to relive behind the scenes of this match through the period testimonies of the different protagonists (players, managers, journalists).

This match, often described as a “butchery”, was not played only on the field. It was outside, in the press, that the real battle began. Provocative statements before kick-off ignited the powder and had consequences far more serious than the scenario of the match itself.

The context

The Parisians have had an excellent first part of the season. Very ambitious, they hope that this match will be the symbol of a transfer of power in the event of victory after years of Marseille domination. With the repurchase of PSG by Canal + in 1991, the Ile-de-France club built a big team: Bernard Lama, Alain Roche, Ricardo, Antoine Kombouaré, Paul Le Guen, Laurent Fournier, Valdo, David Ginola, George Weah… They dream of dethroning the Olympians who reign over the French championship since 1989. The rivalry between the two clubs has never been so palpable.
Before the match even began, Artur Jorge, the PSG coach, added fuel to the fire in the newspaper L'Équipe: “OM are going to go through hell, we are going to step on them. »
Blessed bread for Bernard Tapie who uses it to galvanize his players by posting these provocations in the locker rooms.

The authorities fear excesses in the stadium between rival supporters. 1,500 Marseille supporters are making the trip and no less than 1,100 police officers and CRS are deployed to reinforce security.

The match

The excesses finally took place on the field, with a referee (Michel Girard) quickly overwhelmed by the events.
Fournier is the first to shine with a violent scissor tackle on Di Meco. The Marseille player gets up instantly, puffing out his chest, staring darkly at his opponent.
The response does not take long. In the following action, the Olympian full-back knocked out his opponent with a headbutt in an aerial duel. Ricardo takes revenge on Abedi Pelé who remains on the ground after receiving a brutal knee to the chest. The rough Casoni shows that he can be counted on in this area, and collects the first warning.

Eric Di Meco cut out everything that passes. Laurent Fournier still incurs the costs. A killer tackle – “à la Di Meco” – from behind, both feet off the ground. Yellow card! (only).

Surreal scene, Bernard Tapie plays the defense lawyers, live, on the microphone of Charles Bietry : “He has not injured a single player during his career, he explains in his defense. Well there is a mistake. The foot is very high, this can be very serious and these are not things to do. But. Look, 9 times out of 10 the player gets up and has nothing. He makes sliding tackles like this sometimes over 20 meters which gets him yellow cards,” thus analyzes the Boss.

“Every time I tackled, it was to hope to get the ball,” will have fun, Eric Di Meco at the end of the meeting at the microphone of France 3 with a little smile.

We therefore count more fouls and yellow cards than game actions during this first period: 33 fouls in total, 19 on both sides. ABOUT 14 side PSG. Four warnings against Marseille (Di Meco, Boli, Casoni, Sauzée), and only one against Paris (Fournier).

On one of the very rare Olympian opportunities, Boxing trompe Lama header in the 22nd minute of play (1-0). Less committed, the second period is mainly one of missed opportunities for the Parisians and more particularly David Ginola harvests two huge scoring opportunities. OM imposes itself as boss. PSG cannot digest…

“There are sometimes injustices and this evening it was one that OM won this match, explained at the end of the meeting Bernard Lama. For what ? because already in the first half they only committed attacks, they did not try to play football and in the second half we largely dominated them by creating three clear chances”

The former Canal + journalist Thierry Gilardifor his part prefers to retain the experience of the Olympians in major events: “There are experienced players in this OM team and that is irreplaceable, to control a match, to win 1-0. When we have Casoni, Deschamps, Sauzé, Boli we know how to travel, we are used to European Cup matches”he analyzes in the corridors of the Parc des Prince after the meeting at the microphone of France 3.

Tense exchanges after the meeting

PSG president Michel Denisot cannot digest the defeat. He doesn't walk his words in the columns of the team newspaper: “The mentality of our opponents was disgusting. And all this under the eyes of the president of the League, Mr. Le Graët, who does not seem scandalized. The thugs are therefore right. If you have to be a thug to succeed, don't count on us. »

The mentality of our adversaries was disgusting — Michel Denisot

Jean Louis Levreauvice-president of OM, was quick to respond: “Denizot’s behavior is ridiculous. It corresponds to the collective hysteria that we experienced in the presidential stand where the Parisian leaders and elected officials behaved like startled virgins when Boksic's goal. It’s quite funny but it doesn’t help football matters,” he replied in the regional media.

The president of the League Noël Le Graët also cannot digest the comments made by the PSG leader against him: “The culprit is Denisot. He lost his cool.” he explains in the columns of L’Equipe.

The Parisian players also let loose in the mixed zone after the match. “The Marseille players are thugs, I am well placed to say it since I work alongside them in the France team. They really give a great image of football,” declares goalkeeper Bernard Lama.

On the Marseille side, we recall that it was the Parisians who ignited the powder before the meeting in the press with provocative statements.
“They are the ones who excited us, with all these declarations. When you say to OM: “we are going to step on you, it will be war, you will see they will never have experienced this…” If you do this with Basiles, Desaillys, Di Mecos, be careful… The “mental training” was done by the Paris press”explains thus Raymond Goethals at the microphone of France 3 after the match.

“We had read left and right that we were going to be stepped on, and well, we always have to be careful about what we say,” Franck Sauzée told the journalists present after the meeting.

For Didier Deschamps, the words of the Parisians before the “classic” only brought additional motivation to the people of Marseille: “The motivation was already there but it’s true that when you hear comments like that… I think that We are used to the international level. From there we know that it's a fight. There is a ball, we have to snatch that ball away. And I think that this evening most of the duels were won by Marseille,” explains the OM captain at the final whistle.

Facing journalists, in the entrance to the Parc des Princes, Bernard Tapie can enjoy. Its players responded present in a match which is also a big turning point this season: “For months we have been told that we exist more than Paris, it is renewal, well we have shown that it We'll have to wait a little longer, eh? » confides the OM boss in the corridors of the Parc des Princes with a mischievous smile.

This victory for OM, in a climate of psychological and physical warfare, reinforced the rivalry between PSG and Marseille. This Classic remains one of the most memorable, and above all one of the most violent. At the end of this season. OM enters history forever by winning the Champions League. LThe Marseille players will also be crowned champions of France.