With Sunday night’s Classique drawing closer on the Canebière, an unusual silence surrounds the ticket office: Marseille still had roughly 4,000 seats on sale little more than 48 hours before Paris Saint-Germain arrive at the Vélodrome.
The Ligue 1 news
Marseille host PSG at 20:45 on Sunday, in the final match of Ligue 1’s fifth round, but the fixture has not yet produced its customary sell-out. The Classique is normally booked out well in advance, yet supporters could still buy tickets directly from the club website on Friday lunchtime without a waiting queue.
Seats remained available across 11 standard price bands, from €65 in category 10 up to €225 for Gold tickets. A further seven reduced-visibility categories were also open, priced between €55 and €155, with availability in both side stands.
The muted demand follows a turbulent summer at OM. The club made no signings and lost several senior players while operating under DNCG restrictions, leaving supporters worried about the squad’s competitiveness.
That concern has deepened since the campaign began. Bruno Genesio’s side opened their league season with a 4-0 victory over Strasbourg, but have since lost three Ligue 1 matches in succession: 2-0 at Monaco, 3-2 against Paris FC, and 1-0 at Rennes.
Thursday’s 4-1 defeat away to Besiktas in Marseille’s first Europa League match extended the run to four consecutive defeats in all competitions.
Club president Stéphane Richard has urged the Marseille public not to turn away during the difficult spell. He said the team had resources, players with quality and “an excellent coach”, while accepting that anxiety around the club is heard every day.
“We still need people to come to the stadium and support us,” Richard said. “This is a hard moment for the club, but it is very important that people retain some belief in us and keep being there.”
PSG next at the Vélodrome
Genesio admitted the Besiktas loss had hurt, but the Marseille coach is looking to use elements of the performance in Turkey as a foundation for Sunday’s meeting with PSG.
“Everybody knows what this match means to Marseille and to us as well,” Genesio said. He pointed in particular to his team’s first-half display against Besiktas, adding that Marseille must preserve their energy and unity among the players, coaching staff and the wider club.
For a side searching for a response after four losses, the visit of PSG offers the biggest possible stage — and Marseille are hoping their supporters will still fill it.
