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The French football bribery scandal (French: Affaire VA-OM) was a scandal involving bribery in a 1993 French Division 1 match between Olympique de Marseille and Valenciennes. The scandal led to the 1992–93 French Division 1 title being taken away from Marseille.
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Context
Prior to the 1992–93 French Division 1 season, Olympique de Marseille had won the previous four French Division 1 championships. Marseille had qualified for the 1993 UEFA Champions League Final against A.C. Milan, and were also close to winning the French Division 1 title.
Marseille won their match against Valenciennes 1–0 to secure the 1992–93 French Division 1 title and later won the 1993 UEFA Champions League Final 1–0 against A.C. Milan.
Allegations
In May 1993, it was alleged that Marseille had bribed Valenciennes to deliberately lose the match between the two sides, in order that the Marseille team could be better prepared for their Champions League Final a few days later. Bernard Tapie asked footballer Jean-Jacques Eydelie to act as conduit, with money being offered to Valenciennes players Jacques Glassmann, Jorge Burruchaga and Christophe Robert. Robert's wife collected the money from Eydelie. Glassman refused to partake in the bribe, and was later awarded a FIFA Fair Play award for his actions. In his 2006 book, Eydelie described the event as such: "Bernard Tapie said to us, 'It is imperative that you get in touch with your former Nantes team-mates at Valenciennes (there were two of them including Burruchaga). We don't want them acting like idiots and breaking us before the final with Milan." During a raid, 250,000 francs were found in Robert's aunt's garden.
Other allegations
After the allegations of bribery, the CSKA Moscow coach claimed that Marseille had tried to bribe him in a 1992–93 UEFA Champions League group stage match, although this allegation was later withdrawn. In a 2011 ITV interview, Rangers footballer Mark Hateley alleged that he had been offered money by Marseille to not play in the Champions League match between the two sides. In 2006, Eydelie also made doping allegations that prior to the 1993 Champions League final, he and other Marseille players were given injections.
Immediate aftermath
Tapie initially claimed that the 250,000 francs were a loan for Robert to start a restaurant, although on 17 June, Robert later admitted that the money was related to bribery. On 30 June, French police raided the headquarters of Marseille Football Club. Eydelie, Burruchaga and Robert were placed under police investigation for complicity in corruption; Robert was later arrested in Périgueux. In September, the French Football Federation removed Marseille's French Division 1 title, and UEFA prevented Marseille from competing in the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, 1993 European Super Cup and the 1993 Intercontinental Cup. The French Football Federation also suspended Eydelie, Robert and Burruchaga. The French Division 1 title was offered to Paris Saint Germain who refused it, and so no team is classed as winning the title that season. Tapie was replaced by Bernard Moreau as President of Olympique de Marseille.
Trial
The trial into the bribery scandal took place in March 1995 in Valenciennes, with the verdict being delivered on 15 May 1995. During the trial, Tapie admitted to lying, but claimed that it was in good faith; he also said that the money that he had offered Valenciennes had come from the ticket money for their Champions League final. Tapie was sentenced to over two years in prison; eight months of the sentence was for match fixing, and another eighteen months for fraud in the club's accounts. He served six months, and was also fined 20,000 francs. Jean-Pierre Bernes (the general manager of Marseille), Eydelie, Robert and Burruchaga were all also given prison sentences and fined; Eydelie's prison sentence was a suspended sentence.