French drinks firm Pernod Ricard said Thursday, September 5, it had scrapped a proposed sponsorship deal with football giants Paris Saint-Germain after fans of bitter rivals Marseille threatened a boycott.
Days after news of the deal surfaced, furious Marseille fans protested: The aniseed-flavored beverage is closely linked to their southern port city, and a storm of critiques erupted. There is a deep-seated enmity between fans of both clubs, which has in the past seen bans on away fans of either side attending games between two of the biggest outfits in the French game.
The iconic drink is popular nationwide, but is especially associated with Marseille's sun-kissed balconies against a balmy Mediterranean backdrop, while it was commercialized eponymously by Paul Ricard, a native of the southern French city, in 1932. Henri-Louis Pernod had founded Pernod in 1805, but the pair merged in 1975 and has since become a major industry player.
Pernod Ricard's headquarters these days are actually in Paris but after Marseille fans protested the company conceded defeat. "For more than 90 years, the history of Ricard has been intertwined with Marseille, where it was born, grew up and was inspired. And this bond is stronger than anything. So this is a decision which comes from the heart that I'm making today," CEO Alexandre Ricard explained in a statement.
Despite PSG's recent Qatari cash-fuelled rise to the top of the domestic game, it is Marseille who remain the only French team to have won the European Cup/Champions League – the closest PSG having come was four years ago, when they lost the final to Bayern Munich. Marseille have struggled in recent years to return to the glory years, which peaked with their 1993 triumph, as PSG have racked up a string of league titles over the past decade.