the magnificent initiative launched by the club for disabled players!

This Saturday, Olympique de Marseille, in collaboration with Treizième Homme, announced the creation of its Football team for amputees and became the first Ligue 1 McDonald's club to take this initiative for inclusion in football for all. Sponsored by Romain Alessandrini, who worked at OM between 2014 and 2017, the players will take part in their first training session tomorrow morning at the OM Campus and will receive their jerseys from Lucie Venet, Executive Director of Treizième Homme. They will then be officially presented at the Orange Vélodrome tomorrow before the OM-Strasbourg kick-off and will symbolically receive their jerseys from President Pablo Longoria. Fabrizio Ravinelli, executive and sports advisor of OM spoke. “Football is the most popular sport there is, and as such, it is necessary that it remains accessible to everyone. In this regard, we are particularly proud to be the first McDonald's Ligue 1 club to have a football section for amputees. OM and Thirteenth Man attach great importance to inclusiveness, and we are convinced that this team will contribute to upholding the club's values ​​and making it shine, on and off the pitch. »

First match in early February

The nine players on the team, some of whom are French and even Paralympic champions in the discipline, will be supervised by three members of the staff during this season. Among the players, there may be former footballers affected by the disease, soldiers or civilians injured on mission or during an attack or even high-level athletes amputated following cancer. According to a source close to the club, OM is speaking with several championship teams to encourage them to follow in their footsteps. The first day of the championship has been set for the weekend of February 8/9 on the lawns of the OM Campus. The coach of the French amputee football team also welcomed this arrival. “It’s a source of immense pride and a big step forward for our discipline. The support of a club like OM will help us reach a wider audience and, hopefully, encourage vocations among young amputees. »

Featured Podcasts

MEN LIFE