Vélodrome crowds dip as Marseille seek fixes to keep seats filled | OneFootball

Vélodrome attendances have dipped slightly this season, and Olympique de Marseille are seeking fixes as matchday income remains vital. According to L'Équipe, the club is closely tracking a softer start.

Recent years brought surging gates, including the eighth-highest club average worldwide last season.

This term has not matched those standards. OM expect about 62,000 for Sunday’s Classique at 20:45, and early weeks show roughly a 3% fall, with 16 Ligue 1 clubs also trending down. Household purchasing power is cited as a factor.

Pricing uses multiple indicators, from sporting form to fuel costs. With pump prices more than 20% higher, families are counting the cost. After a sell-out against Strasbourg, 4-0 on 21 August, Paris FC, 2-3 on 6 September, did not fill the ground.

The commercial team is testing solutions, bundling glamour ties with lower-profile games, such as PSG and Levski Sofia this autumn, after Newcastle-Toulouse and Liverpool-Strasbourg last season. A rallying video also went out on social media this week.

OM rely on a 49,000 season-ticket base. League prices were frozen this year, the Europe pack fell 25% after moving from the Champions League to the Europa League, and hospitalities are locked in until summer 2027.

With domestic TV income meagre, margins on single seats matter. The club has rolled out low-cost deals, including tickets from €15 for Olympiakos on 15 October. Bruno Genesio has praised supporters’ patience and backing, saying it could be worse than a non-sell-out for the Classique.

Source: L'Équipe

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