Celestini's Marseille mission

By Matthew Spiro

A 4-2 defeat in their opening game at Real Madrid CF was a brutal reintroduction to the UEFA Champions League for Olympique de Marseille. However, looking forward to further group games against FC Porto and FK Partizan, Marseille captain Fabio Celestini remains confident about his side's prospects this term.

Satisfactory start
Besides qualifying for the Champions League group stage by beating FK Austria Wien, Marseille have made a good start in Ligue 1 and, despite a 1-0 defeat at FC Nantes Atlantique at the weekend, are second in the table.

'Everyone's optimistic'
"We have started well and everyone's optimistic," he told uefa.com. "The most important thing for us was to qualify for the Champions League group stage. We have done that now and the fact that we've won all but one of our games in the French championship is also encouraging."

Massive changes
The Swiss midfield player saw massive changes at the club over the summer as coach Alain Perrin brought in nine players to bolster Marseille's campaign for French and European success. However, Celestini is convinced that, despite all the upheaval, his side will soon be at their best.

Squad reinforcements
"The players who've arrived have settled in very quickly," he said. "[Stepan] Vachousek and [Didier] Drogba have already made an impact, while Mido [Ahmed Hossam] is a really talented player. Basically we feel like we have a much stronger squad than last season. No one is sure of his place in the starting lineup any more, and that has to be a good thing for the club."

Love affair
That Matchday 1 defeat against Madrid may have taken Marseille down a peg in the Champions League, but the city's love affair with the competition has not gone sour. Many supporters remember Basile Boli's goal against AC Milan which won the trophy for Marseille in 1992/93, and the excitement of a new campaign has not been lost on Celestini and his team-mates.

'We feel it'
"Oh yes, we feel it," said the 28-year-old. "We feel it every day. But that's part and parcel of playing for Marseille. This season we have set our ambitions a bit higher than in the past and, as a result, people are getting excited and anticipating big things. It doesn't bother me. I'll just do my best to make them happy."

European prospects
Making the notoriously passionate Marseille fans happy will involve succeeding on both fronts - at home and in Europe. Celestini thinks it will be tough. "Certainly, it will be extremely difficult to get past the first phase," he said. "Still, if we can get some good results at the Vélodrome where we are usually strong then you never know.

Domestic dream
"In terms of the French championship, I think that like last season it will be very close. Hopefully we can get up near the top again and do better than last year."

'Fond memories'
The important thing for Celestini is to ensure that the Champions League does not hamper Marseille's domestic efforts. "Marseille have already won this competition once, so the fans have fond memories of it," he said. "Hopefully we can help them revisit some of those memories.

French focus
"But this is a big club and it needs European football every year, not just once in a while. That is why we have to stay focused on the French league and make sure that we qualify for the Champions League again next season, and then the season after that."