Season's opening press conference

Stefano Petruzzo: "A human project"

We are absolutely delighted to welcome Nicolas. This is a human project. Nicolas embodies everything we want to stand for: ambition, humility. He is with us until 2029. His style of play matches Marseille's values. He has a highly competent coaching staff. He was named best coach last season. He has the desire to commit to a long-term project with Les Marseillaises. Welcome, Nicolas.

Nicolas Chabot: "Creating a chemistry between the fans and us"

Why leave Nantes
I had given everything I could at Nantes, and it would have been difficult to match or better that. At Marseille, I sensed an opportunity to grow beyond what I had achieved at Nantes.

The objective
It's to finish in the top half of the table. OM deserves that. By doing so, you're fighting until January, and after January you're fighting to find out whether you can push higher or whether you settle for mid-table. We have a squad capable of achieving that.

Recruitment
We work collectively to build the squad. We define profiles and move forward together. It's a unit — we discuss things together. We try to think in the medium and long term. Our financial structure requires us to take risks.

The first two results
We are satisfied. The players aligned with what we wanted to put in place. The game plan took shape very quickly. After the first 15 days, we were already fluid, which allowed us to test different systems. We were already ready for Toulouse. We go into the third match, against Le Havre, fully prepared.

More signings.
We are happy and satisfied with the squad. We don't necessarily need to add more. We remain open as long as the transfer window is open.

The style of play
It's fairly straightforward. I want to sit on the bench and love what I see. We want a style that suits women's football and the city of Marseille. The players have technical quality, the ability to combine, and strong cognitive skills. We have two main influences: Spain and England. I've always loved matches that end 4-4. That will appeal to the supporters too. All of that fits the Marseille identity. Here, people do things with heart. People are intense in everything they do. That fits perfectly with our influences.

The mentality
Every competition carries the same weight. There aren't a huge number of matches in women's football. The players are capable of playing in quick succession. The Cup is fundamental for us. These were the first matches of the season. We started against two Division 1 sides and that's a great thing.

Stade Francis-Turcan
I love this stadium, the atmosphere, the vibe. It's neither too big nor too small. The pitch is excellent. We've already played there and it went well.

The supporters
I've been told that Marseille has one of the finest sets of supporters in France. I look forward to seeing that for myself… Marseille is a football city — we saw that when they played at the CEPAC Vélodrome. We hope the spectacle will draw them in. We hope to create a chemistry between us and them. The supporters are an integral part of the project. Football is about emotions that we share together.

The pressure
I haven't felt it. We've been very warmly welcomed. We've worked hard and got good results. We want the team to play the football we have in mind. That's our big challenge. We managed to put it in place quickly. But the Arkema Première Ligue is a very high level. We haven't felt any pressure — we're pleased with what we've built.

A match at the CEPAC Vélodrome
I hope so. I keep pestering the management to make it happen. It's an incredible experience — it's a great stadium, the players love playing in front of big crowds. I'd really love for us to play there.

The captain's armband
Claire Lavogez and Nelly Rodrigues form a captaincy quartet alongside Mathilde Bourdieu and Maureen Cosson. We carried out an analysis and these four players stood out. I introduced a rotating captaincy last year and I really liked it.

The squad's qualities
The squad is incredibly hard-working. They give everything on the pitch every single day. They handle the workload well. We have experienced players and a group that is technically mature. We have quality on both the tactical and technical fronts. To succeed in Division 1, you need consistency. Last season at Nantes, we maintained a high level of consistency throughout the season and within individual matches. Consistency matters and it rewards the teams that drop the fewest points. That's why squad depth is important. The January matches determine whether you push for the top or whether you stall.

The Les Marseillaises project
I'm building on the existing foundations structurally. The management didn't wait for me to put a strategy in place. We're bringing something new on the sporting side. There are new players, a different style of play. A lot of great things were done before us — we're here to put the finishing touches on them.

The development of women's football
It's progressing well — never quickly enough, of course, but it's progressing well. It's a different spectacle from men's football. It's becoming more and more popular. Clubs and leagues are giving themselves the means to develop. The level is rising, people are watching, and that creates a forward-moving ecosystem. OM is a club that gives itself the means to improve its structures but also to develop the French women's game. We could move even faster on the structural side. We take great pleasure in being part of this development.

VAR in the Arkema Première Ligue
I hope it will be a support tool for referees. Refereeing is difficult — we see that during training when we referee ourselves. It's a tool that should bring objectivity to women's football. It should help reduce mistakes and their consequences. It can be frustrating to see a result hinge on one person's decision.

The supporters
The bigger the crowd, the more it pushes you to surpass yourself. When I've played in big stadiums, there's something different about it. You dig deep when the noise drives you on. When a kop gets behind you, it can tip a match. We're waiting for them — we want to make them proud.

The youth players
We want to build on what has already been done. The academy is an important part of the Club. We want OM to be a driving force in that. Jenny Perret is leading that at OM. A process has just been set in motion. The work is beginning — we'll see the results in a few years. We're already integrating young players into training and into matches, like Neves and Compaoré. We're going to try to develop every aspect of the project.

Stefano Petruzzo: "Les Marseillaises have become a benchmark in Europe"

The project
Les Marseillaises are OM's speedboat. We move fast. There's a project in place — we want to move quickly but without skipping steps. We are where we wanted to be two years ago. Everything is defined: where we want to go. We have the ability to move fast because women's football moves fast. There are some more visible milestones — the brand, playing in Martigues, the first match at the CEPAC Vélodrome, the attendances, the social media engagement — we've doubled our follower count across our platforms. We want to keep doing better.

Playing in Martigues
We are very happy there. Thank you to the city for welcoming us, to the people who work there, and to the supporters who come to see us. We feel very much at home. We're always looking for solutions in Marseille, but it isn't easy. It's one of the best stadiums for women's football in France. We played once at the CEPAC Vélodrome and we want to do it again. Perhaps in the future there will be more matches in Marseille.

The board, the presidency
We are OM — we are proud to represent OM. We are grateful for the owner's support. That applies to the owner but also to the board and the presidency. The context is different. There is a long-term project to establish ourselves at the top of French women's football. We are delighted with that support.

The signing of Nicolas Chabot
Nothing is ever easy. Nicolas is a truly great coach with outstanding human qualities. We found ourselves aligned. It came naturally because two parties came together sharing the same values.

Attracting young players
You have to be rooted in the local community. That is fundamental to our project. You also need to play a role in French women's football. With more supporters, everything becomes easier and it allows us to attract more players. We are going to announce a partnership with three clubs in the region. Local roots are the foundation of everything we do.

Building fan loyalty
The first thing is football. Attractive football. Then it's communication, through innovation. Then comes the theming of matches and the experience you can live. You shouldn't arrive at the last minute for a match — there's so much to enjoy in Martigues. There's an engagement to be built and that doesn't happen through football alone.

Improving transport to Martigues
We ran some tests last season. We're trying to make things easier with shuttle services. I don't have anything concrete to announce yet, but it's an area we're working on. My dream is to have a sold-out stadium in Martigues.

The sporting director role
Antoine spent a season with us — we weren't aligned and he moved on. We thank him. We work with a committee that brings together the coaching staff, the management and the scouting department. Nicolas is focused on his role as head coach. Everyone works well together, with clear processes and mutual respect, and we don't feel the need for an additional person.

Finances
The owner has demonstrated his commitment to women's football. We communicate with all of OM's stakeholders. We are very rigorous. When we spend 10 euros, we expect a return of 100 euros.

The international development of Les Marseillaises
We look everywhere, in both men's and women's football. We can learn from anywhere, regardless of where the concept comes from. There are great things happening at Arsenal, for example. But in all humility, Les Marseillaises have become a benchmark in Europe. Very few clubs are capable of living the brand and the institution while also delivering such innovative ideas.

New arrivals
Within the long-term project, we always said that after promotion, and after consolidating our place in the division, we wanted to become even more competitive. We needed to refresh the squad. That was always part of the plan.

The sale of the women's section
Our objective is to increase the value of OM's women's section. We are fortunate to have an owner and a board that support us. If partnership opportunities arise, we will consider them, but that is not our priority.