Le Classique

Rivalry between two football clubs in France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Le Classique (French pronunciation: [lə klasik], The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major European trophies. Therefore, the fixture is the biggest rivalry in France.

Quick facts: Other names, Location, Teams, First meeting, ...
Le Classique
PSG-OM_2007.jpg
PSG/OM at the Parc des Princes in September 2007.
Other namesLe Classico, Le Clasico, Le Derby de France
LocationFrance
TeamsParis Saint-Germain
Olympique de Marseille
First meeting12 December 1971
Division 1
Marseille 4–2 Paris Saint-Germain
Latest meeting24 September 2023
Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain 4–0 Marseille
Next meeting31 March 2024
Ligue 1
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain
StadiumsParc des Princes, Paris
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Statistics
Meetings total106
Most winsParis Saint-Germain (49)
Most player appearancesSteve Mandanda (30)
Top scorerZlatan Ibrahimović (11)
All-time recordParis Saint-Germain: 49
Draw: 23
Marseille: 34
Largest victoryParis Saint-Germain 5–1 Marseille
Division 1
(8 January 1978)
Marseille 4–0 Paris Saint-Germain
Division 1
(28 November 1986)
Marseille 1–5 Paris Saint-Germain
Ligue 1
(26 February 2017)
Paris Saint-Germain 4–0 Marseille
Ligue 1
(27 October 2019)
Paris Saint-Germain 4–0 Marseille
Ligue 1
(24 September 2023)
Close

PSG and OM were the dominant teams prior to the emergence of Olympique Lyonnais in the 2000s, and are the most followed French teams internationally. Both clubs are at or near the top of the French attendance lists each season. Their meetings during the 1970s gave little indication the two would become major adversaries. The newly formed Parisians were trying to assemble a competitive team, while the Olympians were Ligue 1 contenders.

The rivalry began in earnest in 1986 when PSG won their first championship and OM was bought by Bernard Tapie. By the end of the decade, PSG was fighting for the 1988–89 title against Tapie's Marseille. The accusations made by PSG president Francis Borelli against Tapie and OM for fixing matches during that season were a contributor to their growing rivalry.

In the 1990s, tensions between the two sides escalated. French TV channel Canal+ bought PSG in 1991 with the aim of breaking Marseille's hegemony but then agreed with Tapie to emphasize the animosity between them as a way to promote the league. With equivalent financial backing, PSG and OM became the main contenders in the title race. Both sides were less successful in the late 1990s and the 2000s but the rivalry remained strong. Since the 2010s, the matchup has been dominated by PSG, and the significant investment of their Qatari owners has created a wide gap between the clubs.