Le Classique
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.
PSG/OM at the Parc des Princes in September 2007. | |
| Other names | Le Classico, Le Clasico, Le Derby de France |
|---|---|
| Location | France |
| Teams | Paris Saint-Germain Olympique de Marseille |
| First meeting | 12 December 1971 Division 1 Marseille 4–2 Paris Saint-Germain |
| Latest meeting | 31 March 2024 Ligue 1 Marseille 0–2 Paris Saint-Germain |
| Stadiums | Parc des Princes, Paris Stade Vélodrome, Marseille |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 107 |
| Most wins | Paris Saint-Germain (50) |
| Most player appearances | Steve Mandanda (30) |
| Top scorer | Zlatan Ibrahimović (11) |
| All-time record | Paris Saint-Germain: 50 Draw: 23 Marseille: 34 |
| Largest victory | Paris 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) |
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.