Olympique Marseille

Olympique de Marseille, also known by its initials OM (in French: Olympique de Marseille, in Spanish: Olímpico de Marsella), is a French professional football club based in Marseille, France, which plays in Ligue 1, the top football competition in that country. It was officially declared registered by its members in August 1899 with the main purpose of the practice and development of football, although it dates its origins as a multi-sport club to 1895 with its pioneering rugby section. René Dufaure de Montmirail was the main architect of its creation.

Although some of its historic sections are now extinct, the athletics and judo sections remain active alongside football. This multidisciplinary character was from the outset a hallmark closely tied to that of the city, of Greek origin and from which it takes its nickname of "phocéens" (Phocaeans), and which also ended up determining its identifying colours of white and blue, the same as those of the coat of arms of Marseille.

It is considered one of the historic football clubs of the country as one of those that took part in the first edition of the professional championship in 1932, and the one with the most appearances in the top category with 72. In it, it has the honour of having been the first historic leader of the competition and of being the club with the most titles when the amateur championships between 1894 and 1932 are taken into account. It completes its national honours with ten cup championships, three league cup championships and three supercup championships.

As for its achievements at the international level, it holds one UEFA Intertoto Cup title, in 2005, and one UEFA Champions League, won undefeated in 1993, in what was the first edition of the competition under the new format, becoming the first French club to win it. Three UEFA Europa League runner-up finishes, in 1999, 2004 and 2018, are also worth noting.

Recent surveys among French football fans place it as the most popular French club, owing mainly to its sporting record, while it has played its home matches at the Stade Vélodrome since 1938, one of the oldest stadiums in France. Since the 1990s, its main adversaries have been Paris Saint-Germain, against whom it plays le Classique, and Olympique de Lyon, against whom it plays the choc des Olympiques. Its most historic rivals are Saint-Étienne and Girondins de Bordeaux.