If Marseille are to become French champions for the first time in 17 years, they must first dethrone reigning kings Lyon in a crunch clash at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday.

Lyon, champions every year since 2002, have fallen off the pace this season; their title hopes hang by a mathematical thread and they are being pushed hard by Paris Saint Germain for the final Champions League qualifying place.

Marseille lead Bordeaux on goal difference with three matches remaining, after both sides won away from home in mid-week – Bordeaux coming from behind to beat Valenciennes 2-1 after Marseille had sunk neighbours Nice 2-0.

Outgoing Marseille coach Eric Gerets, who will be replaced by former club captain Didier Deschamps in the summer, said it was one of his side’s best away performances of the season, but warned that the race was far from run.

“I’m afraid that we’ll have to win our last three matches,” the Belgian said. “And even if we win them, we won’t be sure of being champions.”

Senegalese striker Mamadou Niang gave Marseille a 25th-minute lead on Wednesday and the injury-troubled frontman said he was prepared to play through the pain barrier in a bid to fire his side to the title.

“The adrenaline at the end of the season allows me to forget the little injuries, the little pains,” he said. “We have to keep a cool head, the games aren’t over yet.”

Title-hunting Marseille Welcome Lyon to Lions´ Den … read more »

Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam began his new four-year term as a FIFA executive committee member this week keen to mend fences with his most ardent critics.

But, as the dust settles on one of the most bitter election campaigns seen in football, he insists he will never change his controversial style of leadership.

So disillusioned were almost half of the AFC’s 46 member nations in the way the Qatari runs the regional football body that they voted against him last Friday at their congress in a key show of dissent.

They said he was a dictator, that there was no transparency in what he was doing and argued that local football associations were not getting enough money.

At the forefront of the criticism were two powerful and influential men — FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah.

Despite vicious personal attacks on him, Bin Hammam is keen to forgive and forget, conscious that if he doesn’t repair the relationships the battle for power will start again ahead of the next congress in two years.

Then, his presidency will be at stake.

“I have no problems with the remarks Chung made,” he said, referring to the Hyundai scion publicly declaring Bin Hammam had mental problems and ran the AFC like a criminal.

“Chung is one of the people who I would like to restart relations with for the good of Asia,” he added.

Sheikh Ahmad, who also heads the Kuwait Football Association, stepped up his rhetoric after the Qatari accused him and the OCA of vote-buying.

AFC Chief Bin Hammam Keen To Mend Fences … read more »