The former communications director of Olympique de Marseille Jacques CardozeHe had it in mind from the moment of his appointment, and for good reason: it was part of his contract. He was to organize the club's traditional Gala with all the players, the coach, his staff, the president, the sponsors, friends, and… of course, a TV star popular with the club to host this traditional end-of-season event, which raises funds for the OM Foundation (since renamed "13th Man"), of which Jacques Cardoze was also the director. He was therefore responsible for it in two capacities, and there was no question of making a mistake in front of all those important people!
For Jacques Cardoze, the ideal solution was to bring in the most prominent television presenter. A familiar face to viewers of Dancing with the Stars (DALS) or Mask Singer on TF1. But there was a catch: the gala's hosting duties were not paid by the club or the foundation. All contributions to the OM foundation were voluntary. Cardoze's problem was that no star would appear without a check. And the gala's date was decided in agreement with the coach, as the athlete always takes precedence over everyone else in a football club.
That year it was the hot-blooded Argentinian Jorge Sampaoli who is in charge of the team. The team has already played no fewer than 50 matches during this marathon season and a very long European campaign in the Conference League, and while Longoria and Sampaoli have given their approval with two matches still to play to secure second place and qualification for the 22/23 Champions League, it is on the condition that the gala takes place on a Friday and that it doesn't end too late so that the players can recover before the next match…
Adding to this is yet another difficulty: the TF1 presenter's schedule is so full that Camille Combal He's expected in New York the next day for an appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show! Wow! That's starting to be a lot of commitments... but never mind! That's underestimating the former France TV journalist, who can be very stubborn and, above all, loves a challenge.
Cardoze may have built his career on France 2, but he's also a huge fan of Camille Combal. They both share a passion for their beloved club: Olympique de Marseille. So, the OM's communications director asked his staff to roll out the red carpet for Combal to accept! And they did! The result: a four-hour broadcast, generously provided by TF1 star Camille Combal.
An act all the more generous and appreciated as he had to get up at 5 a.m. the next day to fly to Paris and then New York where another show awaited him… But nothing is too good for OM!!
That evening, in the lounges of the Vélodrome (requisitioned by Cardoze for the occasion), everyone showed their generosity. Among the prizes won in the raffle: tickets to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, gloves and a helmet from a motorcycle racer, and the legendary jersey from the 300th match of Mandanda.
All the players were present, including Payet and Milik. GhendouziLongoria, accompanied by representatives of the sponsors, all opened their checkbooks to buy rare memorabilia at exorbitant prices in order to bolster the club's foundation. This record-breaking sales will allow the following season to fund charitable initiatives that Jacques Cardoze had established before leaving the club: financing sports equipment for underprivileged youth, distributing school textbooks, and receiving support from various amateur clubs, among other things.
Don't they say that OM is also a club of the heart?
