Marseille forms first amputee team

In a historic move, Olympique de Marseille has become the first Ligue 1 club to form an amputee football team, demonstrating its commitment to promoting inclusion and supporting sports for people with disabilities. The new team will compete in the French Amputee League, which includes four teams, including Annecy and Paris FC, who compete in the second division, as well as Bouet. Marseille is set to play its first match in the tournament early next week, in a new step to support this category of athletes. The team is headed by Jérôme Ravetto, 45, whose football career was cut short after a car accident in 2005 while playing in the French second division. Ravetto expressed his happiness with this experience, saying: “When I was able to play, my dream was to represent Marseille after the accident. I lost that dream, but thanks to this initiative, it is possible again.” Ravetto said that he had thought about founding this team four years ago, but he started working seriously on the idea last year, until it became a reality. This move reflects Olympique de Marseille’s commitment to social inclusion and football for all, and is expected to inspire other clubs in France and Europe to form similar teams, further expanding the reach of the sport and giving talented players a new opportunity to shine.