OM U19 Clinches Coupe Gambardella, Enters Tournament Lore

The tournament is a modern continuation of the Coupe Nationale des Juniors, which lasted until 1954. In 1955, it was renamed to honor Emmanuel Gambardella, who served as the president of the French Football Federation from 1949 to 1953 and passed away on August 30, 1953. In 2019, the competition changed its age category from under-19 to under-18.

Winning the Coupe Gambardella is seen asa great chance for young hopefuls to show off their skills on a national stage. Securing victory in the final is also a big deal for both players looking to launch their careers and clubs wanting to showcase their talent development skills.

The latest installment of the competition pitted OM against Nancy. Marseille quickly took a 2-0 lead, with Keyliane Abdallah scoring in the sixth minute and Mathis Clément adding another in the 14th minute. 

⚽️ Les 4️⃣ buts de l’ @OM_Officiel en finale de la 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮-𝗖𝗿𝗲́𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗲 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZLbDXzcZbw

— FFF (@FFF) May 26, 2024

Nancy responded in the 45th minute with a goal from Yanis Delaveau to cut the deficit to 2-1, but that’s as close as Les Chardons would get in the contest. In the final 45 minutes, Les Phocéens added two more unanswered goals thanks to goals from Gaël Lafont in the 74th minute and Adam Nosel in the second-half stoppage time to secure the 4-1 win. 

OM’s youth team achieved a significant milestone with this result, especially considering it’s only the second time the club have won this competition, the first being in 1979, ending a 45-year drought.

Marseille’s run to the cup saw them defeat various talented teams, such as Paris Saint-Germain U19 in the Second Round, FC Le Mans U19 in the Round of 16, Stade Rennais U19 in the quarterfinals, and Stade Reims U19 in the semifinals.

4️⃣5️⃣ years since our last trophy, the U19s have conquered all before them in the Coupe Gambardella! 🏆 🇫🇷

What an achievement, what a campaign! ⚪️🔵pic.twitter.com/FyHtUsa4Jr

— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) May 25, 2024

Even though Marseille hasn’t won this tournament in over four decades, they’re only five cups behind AJ Auxerre, the club that holds the record for the most Coupe Gambardella wins, having won it seven times. 

Marseille aims to defend their title as reigning champions in the upcoming season, hoping to secure back-to-back cup victories.

Photo Credit: @OM_English 

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