• Olympique de Marseille issued a statement in which the club "asks for more respect for it and more consistency in future decision-making to ensure the fairness of competitions", after the goal canceled to Alexis Sanchez Saturday night against Lens (2-1).
  • Among the supporters these differences in the treatment given to Olympique de Marseille take a name: that of the referee Clément Turpin.
  • To the point that the statistics site Stats OMP looks into the question by analyzing all the matches refereed by Clément Turpin since the beginning of his career.

A feeling of injustice among lovers of Olympique de Marseille, reinforced by a public position of the club. OM issued a statement late on Tuesday in which it "calls for more respect for it and more consistency in future decision-making to ensure the fairness of competitions". In question, the goal of Alexis Sanchez refused by the VAR during the defeat against Lens, Saturday night (2-1) while an almost similar contact between Joris Chotat and Johann Lepenant during OL - Montpellier, Sunday, did not lead to the intervention of the video refereeing.

More generally, "Olympique de Marseille is now obliged to react as the club is facing a large number of contentious decisions that have already had a major impact on the course of its season," adds the club in this press release. For supporters, this feeling of injustice takes a name, that of Clément Turpin, the referee of Saturday's match, reputed to "smoke" OM in the popular belief of Marseille (and favor OL, but that's another debate).

Twice as many matches refereed this season

We took a closer look at OM's statistics when the club is refereed by Clément Turpin over the last five years. The first element that concerns is that the referee has already directed four OM matches this season, against two in the previous four seasons. Twice as many reasons for OM to feel cheated, or not, and as many for supporters to criticize its refereeing. The referee has directed 12 OM matches over the last five seasons, for a record of five wins, one draw and six losses, or 41.6% of victories when Turpin is at the whistle, against 52.6% of victories on average over the last five years.



Regarding expulsions, the Marseillais receive on average a red card every 633 minutes, against a red card every 270 minutes when they are refereed by Clément Turpin, who seems more severe on this point. On the other hand, the Marseillais have obtained four penalties in their favor, against two for their opponents when they were refereed by the international referee over the last five seasons.

If OM have a lower winning percentage under Turpin and an above-average number of red cards, we must not forget that they usually referee the biggest matches. This 2022-2023 season, he officiated for Lens - OM, OM - PSG, OM - Nice and PSG - OM, four defeats Marseille.

"A monster but necessary job" from the Stats OMP website

It is difficult to get an idea by taking the statistics of a single team, over the last five seasons when Clément Turpin has been refereeing since 2008. But not impossible, since the site Stats OMP, which compiles all the statistics of OM since the 90/91 season, is looking into the question by analyzing all the matches refereed by Turpin since his debut. Yes, you read that right, all the games, "a monster but necessary job", according to its owner.


the guys does it tell you an in-depth stat of all the matches refereed by Turpin for all clubs? pic.twitter.com/VIIOlXA1cL

— (s)(t)(a)(t)(s)(O)(M)(P) (@StatsOmp) 📊📈📉🔍 May 9, 2023

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"I actually like to clear up some preconceptions. It has long been said that McCourt is a black cat so I challenged myself to watch all the results when he was in the stands. And that's not really the case. There, apparently Clément Turpin would not carry OM in his heart, I want to verify it statistically, over the long term, since 2008-2009, "explains this passionate about statistics on OM, also partner of France Bleu Provence.

Answer Thursday night

His work arouses interest, while he asked for 20 likes on Twitter to embark on this tedious work, he received more than 1,000. "I didn't expect such a craze," he says. So here he is in the analysis of the twenty matches refereed on average each season by Turpin, for which he looks at the outcome of the match, win, draw or defeat, the number of cards distributed and the penalties awarded or conceded. "To find out if a team is clearly more advantaged when it is refereed by Clément Turpin," he explains.

Result? Stat OMP has so far analyzed the first six seasons of Clément Turpin, until 2014/2015. "So it's too early to say, but for now there is nothing to cry injustice," he says. OM supporters will quickly be in the perfume since he has set himself the goal of completing his work for Thursday night. "After that, everyone is free to interpret the statistics as they see fit," he warns. Can't wait to see Thursday, anyway.

  • Football
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  • Ligue 1
  • Olympique de Marseille (OM)
  • Arbitration