Argentina and OM: A Brief History
With Facundo Medina signing for Olympique de Marseille, joining his Argentina international teammates Leonardo Balerdi and Geronimo Rulli, we look back at some the of the key players to have turned out for l'OM over the years.
Hector Yazalde 1975-77
While not the first Argentine to pull on the club's famous blue-and-white kit, Yazalde was arguably the first to have seen a great level of success. After helping Independiente win a pair of titles, he had a successful spell at Sporting Club de Portugal before moving to Marseille. In his first season, he scored 19 Ligue 1 goals, lining up alongside countryman Raúl Nogués as the team won the Coupe de France. While a further season saw less success, the die was cast for more Argentines to follow.
Gabriel Heinze 2009-11
No stranger to Ligue 1 McDonald's, having spent three seasons with Paris Saint-Germain at the turn of the century, Heinze returned to France after title-winning spells with Manchester United and Real Madrid. He continued that run of success in his first season back in Ligue 1, netting a league and Coupe de la Ligue double. While his spell at l'OM was brief, the defender brought a steadiness and veteran nous to the team, helping earmark manager Didier Deschamps as a rising star.
Lucho González 2009-12
Another key element of that double-winning side in 2009/10, González arrived from Porto as the club's record signing. In addition to the league in 2009/10, he also helped the team win three successive Coupe de la Ligue titles, bringing attacking panache and a combative style of play to the team's midfield. A firm fan favorite, he returned to Porto in 2013, having captivated the Vélodrôme faithful with his play.
Lucas Ocampos 2015-19
Initially joining l'OM on loan from AS Monaco, the left winger featured more than one hundred times for Marseille, despite spending spells on loan at Genoa and Milan in Italy, With sixteen goals and four assists across all competitions in the 2017/18 season, he was instrumental as Rudi Garcia's side reached the Europa League final. After spending several seasons in Spain with Sevilla, he now plays for Liga MX side Monterrey.
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