OM/PSG – Jérôme Brisard back on the whistle… just like in 2020!

A long-awaited return

Tonight, the Vélodrome will be buzzing for the first Classic of the season. The match will be refereed by Jérôme Brisard, 39 years old, a man in black who has only overseen this duel once before… but it was no ordinary one.

The precedent of 2020

In September 2020, Brisard was already in charge of the explosive PSG–OM at the Parc des Princes. Marseille won 1–0 thanks to Florian Thauvin, but the match spiraled out of control at the end, with no fewer than five red cards: Benedetto and Amavi for Marseille, Neymar, Kurzawa, and Paredes for Paris. A crazy night etched in the memory of Marseille fans, and the last league victory for the Phocaeans against Paris.

Ruddy Buquet under scrutiny

Another notable detail: the presence of Ruddy Buquet as the fourth official. His name raises eyebrows after his controversial performance during Rennes–Lyon (3-1), where he failed to send off Anthony Rouault for what was deemed a very dangerous tackle. The FFF and the DTA have since acknowledged it as a mistake. His role will therefore be closely watched on Sunday.

A referee rather favorable to OM

Over his career, Jérôme Brisard has refereed Marseille 22 times: a very positive record with 14 wins, 6 draws and only 2 losses. A statistic that will no doubt fuel Marseille’s optimism. He will be assisted by Erwan Finjean and Alexis Auger on the sidelines, while Bastien Dechepy and Yohann Rouinsard will handle the VAR.

Verdict: Brisard already knows what an electric Classic feels like. The Vélodrome hopes that this time he will blow the whistle on another victorious chapter for OM.