The Marseilles Bribe that denied Rangers a Champions League Final

Hateleys book is good on this matter
Firstly, someone tried to bribe him during the run and that was how he knew the ref had been got at.
Secondly, apparently Moscow players were poisoned when playing in France hence result so as a result rangers brought all there own chefs and food.
All referred to in his book in more detail, very fascinating. I’ve seen Desaily speak about his anger towards tapie because he felt they would have won it fairly anyway.
 
Regardless of the bribe that Marseille team was a good side and would beat bruges 99/100 which makes it an even stranger thing to do.

My first year as a season ticket holder at 10 years old that season and still fucking despise Marseille
I agree, it's sickening to know we were denied a fair chance at the Final, but Marseilles were a brilliant team, Rangers were chasing shadows that night until McSwegan and Hateley's late goals.
Marseilles shouldn't have needed to cheat, the likes of Boksic, Voller, Sauzee, Thuram, Deschamps and Abedi Pele were fantastic players, one of the best teams I have seen at Ibrox in over 30 years.
 
To be honest I always thought it was only the red card to Hateley against Brugge that was paid for.
 
I agree, it's sickening to know we were denied a fair chance at the Final, but Marseilles were a brilliant team, Rangers were chasing shadows that night until McSwegan and Hateley's late goals.
Marseilles shouldn't have needed to cheat, the likes of Boksic, Voller, Sauzee, Thuram, Deschamps and Abedi Pele were fantastic players, one of the best teams I have seen at Ibrox in over 30 years.

Desailly not Thuram, but your point still stands. They were an outstanding side. I wonder how their players feel that their triumph will always be tainted?
 
Desailly not Thuram, but your point still stands. They were an outstanding side. I wonder how their players feel that their triumph will always be tainted?
Sunstroke affecting my memory lol, I'm sure Thuram could have slotted straight into that defence though!
Unfortunately football is among the worst sports when it comes to cheating, it's win at any cost for some people.
Like you say, it's a tainted victory, like Celtic, it doesn't seem to lose them any sleep.
 
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 .
Without even looking, I'd wager there's a decade either side of Marseilles 6-0 where CSKA didn't concede 6 in a game.

Hateley was offered a bribe, then sent off after refusing it.

The goal against Bruges is so obviously corrupt, it could have been scored by Neil Doncaster.

And then there's obviously the Valenciennes game.

You're absolutely right, it was never just one bribe.
 
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Brugges uptil the Marseille game had a fantastic home record ,the goal was a joke and so was the rest of the game,there's no doubt ,the game was fixed,,the reality was that Marseille had a fantastic teamand didn't need to bribe anyone, but power corrupts,and puts people in places where they think they can do what they want ,seem familiar
 
I remember being livid when it all came out - my mate (Jim - I know you’ll spot this) who is every bit as staunch as I am said:-

“...Marseille didn’t bribe us and we didn’t beat them“.

Harsh as this sounds, it puts it into perspective and was spot on. We had it in our own hands away at the Velodrome and cannot forget the great performances; will to win; and efforts of our team that season.
 
The goal v brugge was a disgrace.

The guy who 'gives' the ball away - clearly on orders.

Let them score early and play out the game as a bore fest.

Saying that, we should have beaten cska.
 
They should lose that title it should be removed, and the fact that they haven't and that the Scottish league title has been awarded to a team that mathematically could still have lost it, proves that corruption is the way to go, after all there is no punishment only ill gotten rewards.
 
People pointing out our failure to beat Moscow are really missing the point. Marseille bought the group. No question.

All the sadder because they had a fantastic team. They should be stripped of that title but no-one should be awarded it

I agree that they bought the group.

I also remember before the Brugge v Marseilles match, Richard Gough was quoted as saying he would send the Brugge Captain (can’t remember his name) a crate of champagne if they beat Marseilles, and the Brugge Captain stating they would do their best to beat Marseilles.
However (from memory) the Brugge Captain and some other players dropped out at the last minute :(
 
I remember being livid when it all came out - my mate (Jim - I know you’ll spot this) who is every bit as staunch as I am said:-

“...Marseille didn’t bribe us and we didn’t beat them“.

Harsh as this sounds, it puts it into perspective and was spot on. We had it in our own hands away at the Velodrome and cannot forget the great performances; will to win; and efforts of our team that season.

True but marseille didnt beat us either.

The difference is we tried to beat moscow and brugge fair and square - but marseille didnt. They got in the gutter when their talent should have been enough.

Agree with the fantastic performances you mention. That team just never gave in.
 
As much as I hate Marseille for what happened, I also hate Brugges and CSKA, they were the xūnts who accepted the bribes.

If they had told Tapie to ram it then it might have been a different story.
 
The goal v brugge was a disgrace.

The guy who 'gives' the ball away - clearly on orders.

Let them score early and play out the game as a bore fest.

Saying that, we should have beaten cska.
Remember the goals conceded at Ibrox v Marseille?? They were as bad looking as any Marseille benefitted from
 
Remember the goals conceded at Ibrox v Marseille?? They were as bad looking as any Marseille benefitted from
Disagree bud.

The elvis one in particular, was a terrible mistake, but to say it was anything like the goal v brugge is bullsh it
 
Remember the goals conceded at Ibrox v Marseille?? They were as bad looking as any Marseille benefitted from

Richard Gough should never have started as he wasn’t fit and it was his mistake that led to the first goal.

In fact all the goals Marseille scored against us in that campaign came from defensive errors.
 
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.
I’ve always quite liked Marseilles too. My grandad was born there (Huguenot, obviously!) and i like the place. It’s one of the only true football cities in France. Not many others where the whole place is football daft, in the way they are in the U.K., Italy or Spain, for eg. Oligarch cash has made it a lot less fun in the years since then though. I understand why others don’t though. Tapie really was a prize c**t.
It’s almost as frustrating as missing the final that we didn’t build on it. Out on our arses in the first round the following year to Levski Sofia, AEK the year after and never really threatening to get through the group stages after that.
 
What were the rules back then for teams finishing on the same points?

If it’s the same as nowadays then I think Marseille win the head to head with the 2 away goals? So we could have beat Moscow 10-0 and still went out?

People also missing the point about the Brugge/Marseille game. Brugge had only lost 1 of their last 10 home games before that match and it was to Milan. It certainly wasn’t a gimme under normal circumstances.

I wouldn’t have wanted to be handed the title but the clubs involved, ourselves included, should have made sure Marseille were stripped of the trophy.
 
Just confirming what we all knew. The ludicrous Hateley red card against Bruges was also clear evidence of ref cheating.
The ref was done years later for accepting bribes.
Hateley has spoken of getting a phone call before the return game with Marseille offering him a bribe to throw the game, he refused and informed Walter. The next game was v Brugge, looks like they had a plan B
 
Regardless of the bribe that Marseille team was a good side and would beat bruges 99/100 which makes it an even stranger thing to do.

My first year as a season ticket holder at 10 years old that season and still fucking despise Marseille
The key point was not to show Boli a yellow in that game so as not to miss the final.
 
Still fucking hate that mob nearly 20 years on. Was amazed when we invited them for a friendly.
 
Vaguely remember the goal Marseille scored to win at brugge, if memory serves me right the defender had all the time in the world, but waited till the Marseille player got near and basically fell over the ball, allowing the player a clear run to goal
 
What were the rules back then for teams finishing on the same points?

If it’s the same as nowadays then I think Marseille win the head to head with the 2 away goals? So we could have beat Moscow 10-0 and still went out?

People also missing the point about the Brugge/Marseille game. Brugge had only lost 1 of their last 10 home games before that match and it was to Milan. It certainly wasn’t a gimme under normal circumstances.

I wouldn’t have wanted to be handed the title but the clubs involved, ourselves included, should have made sure Marseille were stripped of the trophy.

It would have been just goal difference then, the current rules were not brought in til sometime later I'm sure.
 
It would have been just goal difference then, the current rules were not brought in til sometime later I'm sure.

Throws up the Marseille 6-0 CSKA Moscow game as well then, especially when you look at CSKA’s other results/performances.

we would have had to beat them 8-0 just to go through that night.
 
I remember watching the final and Milan were there for the taking.

They certainly weren’t the team they once had been.

Am convinced we would have beaten them.
 
Throws up the Marseille 6-0 CSKA Moscow game as well then, especially when you look at CSKA’s other results/performances.

we would have had to beat them 8-0 just to go through that night.

That CSKA game against Marseille was always the one I thought was the most dodgiest looking.
 
Ach it was only Rangers , who cares nothing to see here says UEFA .
Anyways the SFA/SPFL have our back if I comes to anything
 
Mark Hately’s red card was definitely a paid for decision, a total nothing incident. They actually tried to bribe Mark directly, they were terrified of him and needed him out of the return game.
 
Goethals the manager was dodgy as %^*&. He had previously been involved in bribery claims during his time with Standard Liege.
 
1 Marseille6330144+109
2 Rangers624075+28


Rangers and Marseille were both on 7 points going into the last game, so we had to better Marseilles' result due to goal difference.

Marseille simply had to beat Brugge. If word got through to the fans at Ibrox that Brugge had equalised the atmosphere would have changed instantly and the crowd would have lifted the players.

There is no doubt Marseille made sure their passage was already guaranteed before the games even kicked off.
 
That CSKA game against Marseille was always the one I thought was the most dodgiest looking.

absolutely mate.

looking back the evidence is pretty overwhelming.

- Hateley refusing a bribe then getting sent of the next game therefore missing the Marseille game anyway.

- The comedy goal that Marseille scored against Brugge. Even the chances after that Brugge let them have, seems the post wasn’t in on it. This was a Brugge team with one of the best home records in Europe.

- CSKA drawing 1-1 and then getting thumped 6-0 in Marseille the next game.

- Rangers being advised to take their own chef to France for the Marseille game.

- last game of the group and a CSKA side already out giving a heroic back to the walls defensive display.

- the dodgy game in France that Marseille were found guilty of buying and subsequently punished for.

Still incredible Murray didn’t chase UEFA, the scum would of have had the trophy claimed. We should have been looking at the loss of revenue from not making the final at least.
 
1Marseille6330144+109
2Rangers624075+28


Rangers and Marseille were both on 7 points going into the last game, so we had to better Marseilles' result due to goal difference.

Marseille simply had to beat Brugge. If word got through to the fans at Ibrox that Brugge had equalised the atmosphere would have changed instantly and the crowd would have lifted the players.

There is no doubt Marseille made sure their passage was already guaranteed before the games even kicked off.

Goal scored in the second minute to make sure.

Still don’t understand bears saying it was our fault as we didn’t beat Moscow.
 
Goethals the manager was dodgy as %^*&. He had previously been involved in bribery claims during his time with Standard Liege.

more than claims, was banned from coaching in Belgium for life, later reduced to 2 years

 
This is very true, but a Rangers team with Hateley might have won in the velodrome.

totally agree. No doubt Marseille were a fantastic team but they definitely feared Hateley. During that season we were very difficult to beat
 
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