Laurent Tapie, the son of the “Boss” was in Marseille this Tuesday evening. On this occasion, he gave news of the expected statue of Bernard Tapie. It must be installed on the Vélodrome square, but when? She has been waiting for months.
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You will have to wait a few more months to see it. The statue of Bernard Tapie which is due to reach the velodrome square will not be delivered before the end of the year, but later than expected. Laurent Tapie announced last May, for the 31st anniversary of the victory in the Champions League, his installation in the fall of 2024. Well, there is a little delay, France 3 Provence summarizes what you need to know . Laurent Tapie answered our questions.
Laurent Tapie was in Marseille this November 19 at the Café de l’OM in the Old Port.
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© Nicolas Debru / France Télévisions
Marseille town hall must set the date
While he accompanied his wife Marie Griessinger to Marseille for a time of signing of his book “Tapie comme Bernard”, Laurent Tapie let some information slip on the progress of the project which he is following closely. While he himself announced last May that he was moving in for the fall, he says today: “that the town hall will set the date, for the moment some work is still necessary.“An ideal date? Laurent Tapie hopes to see it on the velodrome square before the summer of 2025. May 26, the anniversary of the title won on May 26, 1993, could be a symbolic day for the entire OM community.
The wife of Laurent Tapie and daughter-in-law of the boss signed his book this November 19 in Marseille.
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© Nicolas Debru / France Télévisions
Barnard Tapie’s face is not finished
The statue must represent the famous strong image of May 26, 1993, when Bernard Tapie was worn by the team. This is why the project is called “Forever the first”, from the beginning.
The 3D project presented by sculptor Joel Vergne.
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© ATELIER JOEL VERGNE / Facebook capture
According to Laurent Tapie, a few more details need to be finished and among them his father’s face. An element over which he takes particular care.
A monument more than a statue
It has become customary to say statue, but it is more “of a monument”says the Boss’s son. Bernard Tapie is shown brandishing the C1 trophy, carried by six emblematic players in Marseille: Basile Boli, the author of the only goal in the final against Milan and the 1998 world champions Fabien Barthez, Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps, as well as Eric Di Meco and Franck Sauzée. The whole thing weighs 7 tonnes.
Marcel Dessally and Franck Sauzee, in the studio of the artist who is preparing the monument, Joel Vergne.
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© Facebook capture from Joel Vergne
It is a work that weighs seven tons, which can even go up to nine tons if people start climbing on it, which cannot be ruled out.
Laurent TapieFrance 3 Provence-Alpes
The velodrome square reinforced before the arrival of the statue
And it is this weight of seven tonnes which would have delayed the installation. Laurent Tapie explains that the Marseille town hall had to call in a design office to assess the resistance. “IThere is the OM car park below and we cannot install a nine-tonne monument without waiting for reinforcement work which has been planned for a long time and which will be completed next spring.”
3000 donors, supporters, friends and businesses
3,000 donors for more than 250,000 euros mobilized through the fundraising organized by the association “Forever the first”. On its website, Laurent Tapie explains that 2000 of them will have their names inscribed on the Marseille monument. “I created this association because my father was the only French club president to achieve such success in the Champions League and nothing was happening.“, he confides further. The tribute will be brilliant.
