The Marseilles Bribe that denied Rangers a Champions League Final

jaws73

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Former Romania boss says Rangers' 1992/93 Euro rivals Marseille 'bought' match against Club Brugge
The shocking allegations have never been reported by the Scottish media until now

A Romanian football legend and former national team coach has said that Marseille bribed opponents Club Brugge and the referee prior to their match in the 1992/1993 Champions League to ensure their passage to the final at the expense of Rangers.

The shocking allegations were made by Dinamo Bucharest legend Cornel Dinu in his autobiography 'Misterle Lui Mister' (which translates as 'Mysteries of the Manager').

Marseille's win over Brugge meant they progressed to the final of Europe's most elite club competition, robbing Walter Smith's side of a chance to take on Fabio Capello's AC Milan in the showpiece final in Munich's Olympiastadion.

In his book Dinu claims himself to have acted as intermediary to bribe the referee of the Marseille v Brugge match, Ion Crăciunescu, a fellow Romanian.

According to extracts of the autobiography seen by French newspaper Le Parisien, Dinu alleges he was handed $20,000 and advised that, after "several" meetings with disgraced former Marseille club president Bernard Tapie, that he refrain from showing a yellow card to defender Basile Boli in the game so as not to miss the final.

With the payment handed to the referee weeks after the match.

Of course Boli would go on to score the winner against Milan in the final, and later sign for Rangers in July 1994 for £2.7m.

Dinu, who earned 67 caps for Romania and played at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, claims he himself was the person who handed the referee the envelope with the $20,000 after picking it up in Marseille previously.

The former Romania manager also alleges that some of the Club Brugge players were also "bought" through the now-deceased Raymond Goethals, the Belgian boss of Marseille at that time.

Dinu claims Bernard Tapie told him on the day prior to the Brugge match at the Marseille team hotel: "Thanks to him [Goethals], I took all the necessary measures to prevent the Belgians from causing us trouble.

"We will win easily. Right now, he's waiting for me to tell him about the money he needs for his mission."

Marseille were found to have fixed a French league match with Valenciennes six days before the Champions League final to ensure the team wouldn't over exert themselves going into the final, without sacrificing the club's league campaign.

This saw the club forced to relinquish their 1992–93 Division 1 title, lose their right to play in the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, the 1993 European Super Cup and the 1993 Intercontinental Cup.

While Bernard Tapie was sentenced to one year in prison for his role in the scandal.

 
Look a the Marseille goal, and players reaction in their final game against brugge. Says everything.

That goal was an absolute joke, like something out of Mike Bassett.

Brugge players plays it straight to a Marseille player, who then gives it away. Brugge player picks it up then trips over the ball which allows another Marseille player play in Boksic to score.
 
Is it any surprise?
Away from bribing football officials, he bought Adidas for £1 and said he would cover their £200m+ debt. By “he” he actually meant other people’s money. The Predator boot basically saved Adidas and from memory Craig Johnston got a bit of a shitty deal and Adidas went on to be worth something like £1.3 billion three years later but Tapie was up to his balls in debt. He was a minister in the French govt by this time and it turns out the state owned bank Credit Lyonnais bailed him out as a “favour”.
For reference, think Ashley on steroids.
 
I don’t usually care for people slandering the dead(sic) but given Goethals and Tapies’ relationship, I can believe that he was instructed to liaise with his countrymen .
 
The really sad thing is thay they were a team full of top class players that could have won it legit.

Lived in Provence and have a wee soft spot for Marseille, really well supported club in Ligue 1 and their fans are always up for it. Not their fault an old owner was a cheating dick.
 
And the Brugge keeper doing his best angry acting after it went in
That goal was an absolute joke, like something out of Mike Bassett.

Brugge players plays it straight to a Marseille player, who then gives it away. Brugge player picks it up then trips over the ball which allows another Marseille player play in Boksic to score.
 
I was 10 during that campaign and can remember thinking Rangers were good enough to beat any team in the world.

It was just a normal thought.

I remember having a full blown argument with my old man as an 11 year old watching the world Cup final a year later on holiday that Rangers would empty both of these teams. :D

That team was robbed of even more greatness than they already achieved, an infuriating episode looking back.
 
I was convinced we were going to Munich for the final, had already sourced tickets & still feel bitter they were allowed to buy that cup. Probably our best chance ever.
Same here mate. 3 of us got tickets for what worked out at £22 each. My two mates went ,as they had booked hotel and flights in advance.
 
Now that titles can be awarded without games actually played, only right UEFA strip Marseilles of the 1993 title and award it to the only undefeated team in the tournament.
I like your thinking mate, and the idea of stripping Marseilles of the title isn’t out of the question. However, I’d bet my mortgage on UEFA giving the title to Milan rather than us, unfortunately. :(
 
Didn’t Hateley also pick up a VERY questionable red card after turning down the offer of a bribe from them? I was very young at the time but I can remember him going up for a header and getting sent off for it. I’m sure there was something about it in Goram’s book.
 
Was Franco Baresi not quite vocal that the final should have been replayed between Rangers and Milan?

I seem to remember some from Milan stating the final should be replayed but with Rangers as the opposition and some of our own players saying they wouldn't have the appetite for it after the event.
 
Didn’t Hateley also pick up a VERY questionable red card after turning down the offer of a bribe from them? I was very young at the time but I can remember him going up for a header and getting sent off for it. I’m sure there was something about it in Goram’s book.

He went up for a challenge with the Brugge defender who then put him in a kind of headlock and Hateley shoved him away. Not even handbags and the ref couldn’t get the red card in Hateley’s face quick enough.
 
That goal was an absolute joke, like something out of Mike Bassett.

Brugge players plays it straight to a Marseille player, who then gives it away. Brugge player picks it up then trips over the ball which allows another Marseille player play in Boksic to score.

Without a shadow of a doubt the most dodgy goal ive ever seen.

They are clearly letting marseille score its not up for debate.
 
I realise there is an argument that we beat ourselves when couldn't beat the Russians.

My view is that where there was one bribe made there could have been more , who knows how deep this went and we might not have had to beat the Russians had the group standing not been affected by any such deviousness.

We will never know for sure but it certainly makes you wonder and has left a bitter taste in the mouth .
 
The really sad thing is thay they were a team full of top class players that could have won it legit.

Lived in Provence and have a wee soft spot for Marseille, really well supported club in Ligue 1 and their fans are always up for it. Not their fault an old owner was a cheating dick.
As someone who lived in Paris on and off, I hate them even more now than I did in 92. They remind me of the poets with al their North African baggage being similar to the mentally challengeds love of Ireland.
 
Absolutely. Did the Russians not claim a few years back that their food had been tampered with at the hotel in Marseille?
They told UEFA after the game that bribes had been offered to some of their players and were told that if they wanted an enquiry then both clubs would be investigated because of the dodgy score. They then changed it to saying they suspected the food had been tampered with.
 
I found the two scores against CSKA rather odd. Remember, they never had a home game as they were all played in Germany (I think). So first game ends 0-0 and a couple of weeks later it's 6-0. There was never 6 goals between any of the teams in that group.
 
One look at their goal is all it takes.

Comically obvious throwing of a goal, although not funny for us of course.
 
No surprise reading that, we’ve known it all along. Like many bears I have hated Marseille since then and I won’t be for changing my mind, even though I know it was at the behest of one man, Tapie, who at 77 years old is still mired in fraud cases (just this month he had his assets seized by the French courts). The man is simply a crook. Never forgiven.

Interestingly I recall meeting a fellow bear during our trip to Vienna, in a bar post match, who loved Marseille, was involved with a supporters club there and was a big fan of their fan culture, ultra scene etc. I remember him saying that the Marseille was like Glasgow, hard working city and people and that their support generally favour us over the other lot. This may be his blue tinted specs of course but it was an interesting conversation. I think. We were all pished of course. Anyway, it didn’t change my opinion on Marseille, it’s too ingrained.
 
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