When Tony Cascarino called time on his 12-year spell in English football to join Marseille in 1994, his career had already taken plenty of twists and turns.
The Republic of Ireland striker was 31 years old when he made the move to France, and as he joined Marseille in a turbulent time in the club’s history, few backed him to make a sizeable impact.
Instead, Cascarino’s two-season spell would reinvigorate his career, seeing him play some of the best of his career and leave a lasting impression among the Marseille fans.
Cascarino on leaving Chelsea for France
Cascarino was a free agent when he chose to leave Chelsea following an injury-hit spell at Stamford Bridge which had seen him net just eight goals in two years.
His fortunes would soon change, as he netted 31 goals as Marseille swept to the Ligue 2 title in the 1994/95 season, only for the club to be denied promotion due to an ongoing investigation into financial irregularities and match-fixing scandals.
“If I said it was difficult that would be an understatement,” Cascarino recalls to FourFourTwo when asked about the challenge of adapting to life at Marseille.
“But it was also the most beautiful thing. Marseille had won the Champions League in 1993 but were relegated a year later in a match-fixing scandal, and that gave me a window to sign for them.
“By the grace of God, I got an opportunity to go to such a big club that I never thought I could have played for.”
Cascarino would make the most of this opportunity, ensuring he was in the best possible condition for his new side.
“I was in great shape there – six to eight pounds lighter than I ever was in England,” he continues. “People even told me I looked ill when they saw me. My cheekbones were like cyclists in the Tour de France.”
This newfound fitness would quickly pay dividends as he made an immediate impact for his new side, as he would net 30 goals the following season when the club were finally able to be promoted, before he secured another move.
“I did amazingly at Marseille, but was even better at Nancy because it was playing for a smaller club in the top division. My goalscoring record was so good that I was even awarded the city’s Medaille d’Or.
“I’ve always said the biggest thing that I achieved during my career was to turn things around at 31, after suffering a lot of injuries at Chelsea, which let me have those glorious years in France and play until I was 38.”
