A finale on the roof of the Vélodrome stadium
The actress and comedian Nicole Ferroni and the three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia, associated with preparing the athletes’ meals this summer and whose restaurant is in Marseille, will also be torchbearers. To conclude this first day of the relay, the last segment will take the flame to the Stade Vélodrome, where 10 matches of the women’s and men’s Olympic football tournaments will be held this summer. The round ball will then be in the spotlight with the presence of Jean-Pierre Papin, Ballon d’Or 1991, Louisa Necib, Marseillaise and former No.10 of the French team, and Valentin Rongier, current captain of the ‘OM. Zinedine Zidane, another illustrious Marseillais whose name had been circulating for the lighting of the cauldron on Wednesday, is however not included in the program. The rapper Soprano, a child from the northern districts of the city, will perform a spectacular relay on the roof of the stadium. Then he will give the flame to Eric Di Meco, 1993 European champion with OM, who will himself hand it to Didier Drogba, another legend of the Marseille club, it is up to the latter to light the second cauldron of these Games, at the foot of the legendary Vélodrome.
On Friday, the flame will finally leave Marseille to continue its journey through the Var. Then its path will continue to Paris, via Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day beaches, the Château de Versailles and the Millau Viaduct. As a reminder, the Olympic flame will be in the Pyrénées-Orientales on May 15 and in Aude on May 16.
