The Olympique de Marseille had a week full of events, starting with Joel Ordóñez’s contract extension with Club Bruges until 2029. This decision, despite the strong interest of OM and Ordóñez’s willingness to join the Mediterranean, bears witness to the player’s importance in the Bruges project and could allow future added value in case of transfer. At the same time, the club managed to recruit Matt O’Riley from Brighton, a loan with no option to purchase orchestrated by Mehdhi Benatia following a conflict between the Danish community and his coach. This arrival, seen as an opportunity to strengthen defence, illustrates OM’s ability to seize late opportunities and adapt to the needs of the team.

OM also drew attention beyond transfers. Luis Enrique’s experiment, who had led his players from the stands in the previous games, was abandoned for the 5th day shock against the PSG. The Spanish coach, concerned about his state of health and the particular atmosphere of the Classic, preferred a return to a traditional position at the edge of the field. This decision underlines the strategic importance of this match, a major event of French football marked by historical rivalry.

Finally, the club was the victim of a controversial arbitral decision in the match against Real Madrid in Santiago Bernabéu. A disputed penalty changed the course of the game, causing indignation among many Marseille observers and supporters. Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool player, described this penalty as one of the most outrageous ever seen, believing that Medina’s defensive gesture deserved no sanction. This controversy revives the debate on the use of the VAR and the interpretation of hands in the surface, stressing the continuing frustration with arbitral decisions perceived as unfair.