The English forward is on his way to the Stade Velodrome but his arrival is threatening to splinter the fanbase
Wherever Mason Greenwood wound up this summer after an acrimonious and protracted exit from Manchester United, it was always going to spark controversy. But it just so happens that he is set to sign for a club with some of the most fiercely passionate supporters on the entire planet: Olympique de Marseille.
To put this already-exceptional transfer into context, Marseille is not like the rest of France; the country’s oldest city, it is proudly multicultural, staunchly liberal and unwaveringly progressive, reflected in it being an island of left-wing politics in a sea of far-right voting departments in the south of the country in the recent election, with the left’s unexpected, Kylian Mbappe-endorsed victory over the right sparking wild celebrations in the streets.
But while it is home to people of all walks of life, the main religion is its football club. The badge is literally inescapable – graffitied on every wall, worn proudly on replica shirts and tattooed on chests and limbs, and the imposing Stade Velodrome forms part of the skyline. Both in France and overseas, OM are widely perceived as the best-supported side in Ligue 1 despite Paris Saint-German’s riches, and the fanbase has a deep and devout connection to the team and its values, which encompass those of the city as a whole.
Every religion has its different factions, however, and both the club and the city have a penchant for chaos. Now, there could be more trouble around the corner as the hierarchy turns to Greenwood. Having been starved of tangible success for more than a decade, a £27 million ($35m) deal for a player of his calibre – someone that would normally be out of reach for a side of Marseille’s relatively modest finances – is deemed a sporting opportunity that is too good to pass up.
The Man Utd forward saw charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against him discontinued in February last year, but the accusations certainly haven’t been forgotten. Progressive women’s rights are advocated for strongly in Marseille, although diversity brings with it different attitudes across different communities, and there is significant disharmony surrounding the topic of Greenwood’s imminent arrival.
