From George Weah to Hatem Ben Arfa - Meet the players who played for both PSG and Marseille
PSG and Marseille form part of one of the most iconic rivalries in French football.
Nicknamed Le Classique, both these teams have been fighting it out for titles in France for a long time.
It's not a surprise that these are the only two French clubs who have won major European trophies, with PSG winning the 1996 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup and Marseille winning the 1992-93 Champions League.
Despite their fiery rivalry, over the years many players have switched allegiances between both clubs.
Who are they? Let's take a look!
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George Weah
Former footballer and current President of Liberia, George Weah had an incredible 18-year career during which he achieved what many other players could only dream of.
The 1995 Ballon d'Or winner played for both PSG and Marseille during the peak of his career.
After impressing in his spell at Monaco where he scored 47 goals in 103 appearances between 1988 and 1992, Weah joined PSG and went on to make 96 appearances for them, scoring 32 goals. He won four trophies at the club including a league title in the 1993-94 season.
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Claude Makelele
One of the greatest defensive midfielders in the modern day, Claude Makelele arrived at Marseille in 1997 after over 150 appearances for Nantes.
However, the Frenchman only stayed at the club for one season, making 32 appearances before moving to Spain with Celta Vigo in 1998.
His performances at Celta saw him catch Real Madrid's eye, who signed him in 2000. In his three years at Real Madrid, Makelele won two league titles, one Spanish Super Cup, a Champions League, a Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
He moved to Chelsea in 2003 and won five major trophies there before joining PSG in 2008. He stayed at PSG for three years and won the Coupe de France in 2010 before retiring a year later.
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Hatem Ben Arfa
After bursting onto the European football scene at Lyon, Hatem Ben Arfa was signed by Marseille in 2008 and in his three-year spell with the club, he made 63 appearances and scored nine goals.
Newcastle United scouted him and signed him in 2010 on an initial loan before making the move permanent in 2011.
He stayed with the Magpies until 2015, making just 72 appearances and scoring 12 goals before moving to Nice in France.
After scoring 17 goals in 34 games in the 2015-16 season, PSG signed him. It was in his two seasons in the French capital that Ben Arfa's decline began.
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Gabriel Heinze
Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze arrived from Argentina for his first stint in Europe with Spanish club Valladolid in 1997.
After impressing in his four years there, which also included a loan spell at Sporting CP, Heinze was signed by PSG in 2001.
In Paris, the left-back was one of their best players and made 99 appearances until 2004 before a dream move to Manchester United.
The 2006-07 Premier League winner spent three seasons in Manchester before joining Real Madrid for two years. He arrived at Marseille in 2009, winning the Ligue 1 and the French League Cup in his first season at the club.
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Lassana Diarra
After building up an impressive CV with top clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid earlier in his career, Lassana Diarra played for both Marseille and PSG towards the end of his professional stint.
He arrived at Marseille in 2015 and stayed there for two seasons before joining Al Jazira in 2017.
In 2018, he got his last big break with PSG, where he stayed for one season, making 13 appearances before retiring.
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Jean Djorkaeff
One of the few stars to have played not only for PSG and Marseille, but also for Lyon in France, Jean Djorkaeff started his career with Lyon.
The defender joined the club in 1958 and went on to make 155 appearances with them and winning the Coupe de France, before arriving at Marseille in 1966.
In his four year spell at Marseille, Djorkaeff made 139 appearances, winning the Coupe de France again in the 1968-69 season.
In 1970, he joined PSG who were in Division 2 of the French league at that time and went on to play 64 games for them over two seasons.
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Jacky Novi
Jacky Novi impressed at Nimes between 1963 and 1967 when he made 149 appearances for them before joining Marseille.
In his six years with Marseille, Novi made 237 appearances before returning to Nimes in 1973 for a season.
The defender, who could also play in midfield, then joined PSG in 1974 and went on to make 122 appearances for them until 1977. He ended his career at Strasbourg.
With Marseille, Novi won the league championship in 1971 and 1972 and finished as a runner-up in 1970. He also won the Coupe de France with them in 1969 and 1972.
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Boubacar Sarr
Senegalese striker Boubacar Sarr impressed in his two seasons with French club Toulon before joining Marseille in 1975.
The Senegal forward made 105 appearances for them, scoring 36 goals between 1975 and 1979, winning the Coupe De France in the 1975-76 season.
In 1979, PSG came calling. Sarr made 98 appearances and scored 28 goals in his four years with the Parisiens.
He returned to Marseille in 1983 and won the Division 2 title in the 1983-84 season
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Laurent Fournier
Former French midfielder Laurent Fournier established himself at his first club Lyon, making 255 appearances for them before joining Saint-Etienne and later, Marseille in 1990.
At Marseille, Fourinier won the First Division league title and ended up as runners-up in the European Cup and Coupe de France.
He stayed for just that solitary season at Marseille before joining PSG in 1991 and going on to make 119 appearances in his three years in his first stint at the club.
In 1994, he joined French powerhouse Bordeaux for a season before returning back to PSG in 1995.
In his second spell with the Parisians, Fournier made 133 appearances in three seasons.
Overall, he won six trophies with PSG.
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Zoumana Camara
French defender Zoumana Camara arrived at Marseille in 2000 after impressive stints at Saint-Etienne, Empoli and Bastia.
He stayed for just one season at the club, making 42 appearances before joining Lens. He returned to Saint-Etienne in 2004, spending three seasons at his old club.
In 2007, Camara joined PSG on a four-year contract and was a key player for them as he helped them win eight trophies during his time at the club until 2015, including three league titles.
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The rest - From Edouard Cisse to Daniel Bravo
Edouard Cisse made a name for himself at Paris Saint-Germain and played an integral role during his 10 years there. He made 186 appearances, some of which came alongside the great Ronaldinho in PSG's midfield. In 2009, he joined Marseille for two seasons during which he won the league title in his first season at the club.
French midfielder from the 1950s, Jean-Pierre Destrumelle made a name for himself at Rouen before joining Marseille in 1966. The midfielder made 116 appearances for Marseille in his four seasons there before joining PSG in 1970. He won the Coupe de France with Marseille and the Division 2 league title with PSG.
Jean-Louis Leonetti spent the entirety of his professional club career playing in France. He started out at Marseille in 1955 and went on to make 72 appearances in his five years at the club. The versatile defender joined PSG in 1971 when he was nearing the end of his career.
French midfielder Jean-Pierre Dogliani graduated from Marseille's academy and went on to make 62 appearances for the senior team, scoring 17 goals between 1961 and 1964. He then played for Angers, Bastia and Monaco before joining PSG in 1973 and retired after three seasons in the French capital.
Ilija Pantelic joined Marseille in 1971, but could only make two appearances for them before joining Bastia in the same year. The goalkeeper enjoyed a decent spell at Bastia, making 108 appearances. In 1974, PSG signed him and he went on to make close to 100 appearances for them in three seasons at the club.
Cameroon midfielder Jean-Pierre Tokoto had two underwhelming spells at Marseille at the beginning of his career where he made just 14 appearances for them in total before joining Bordeaux in 1972. It was at Bordeaux where he shone, catching PSG's eye, who signed him in 1975. After two seasons in Paris, he returned to Bordeaux in 1977.
Michel N'Gom graduated from Marseille's academy and went on to make 60 appearances for the senior team, scoring an impressive 26 goals. In 1981, PSG signed him and he went on to make 72 appearances, scoring 22 goals in his three-year spell at the club, during which he won two Coupe de France titles. N'Gom tragically passed away in a car accident at the age of 25 in 1984.
A Marseille academy graduate, Marcel De Falco made 72 senior appearances for the club before joining PSG in 1983. He only played for one season in the French capital, making just four appearances.
Claude Lowitz joined PSG from Metz in 1985. In his two seasons in the capital, the defender made 28 appearances and won the Division 1 title before joining Marseille in 1987, where he played for one season.
PSG signed Francois Brisson in 1975. The winger made 81 appearances for the club before joining Lens and Strasbourg. He then arrived at Marseille in 1986 and spent a season there. Brisson also played for Lyon and Lille later in his career.
William Ayache joined PSG in 1986 after winning two league titles with Nantes. He stayed for just one season at the club before joining Marseille in 1987 and then returning back to Nantes in 1988.
1984 Euro winner with France, Yvon Le Roux joined Marseille in 1987 and made 78 appearances for them before joining PSG in 1989. The defender made just 15 appearances for them in his one season in the capital.
Thierry Laurey was a versatile defender who could also play as a midfielder. He joined Marseille in 1986 and played there for a season before joining Montpellier and Sochaux and later, PSG in 1990. He made just 27 appearances for Marseille and eight appearances for PSG.
Lens legend Daniel Xuereb joined PSG in 1986 and made 80 appearances, scoring 20 goals in his three seasons there. The striker joined Montpellier in 1989 and played for two seasons there before joining Marseille in 1991 for a single season.
Bernard Pardo played for both Marseille and PSG in back-to-back seasons. He arrived at Marseille for a season in 1990 and then played for PSG for a season in 1991.
French right-back Jocelyn Angloma joined PSG from Lille in 1990. He stayed there for just a season before joining Marseille in 1991. He featured for three seasons with Marseille, winning the Champions League with them in the 1992-93 season.
Bruno Germain joined Marseille in 1989 and spent two seasons there, making 80 appearances. The defensive midfielder then moved to PSG in 1991 and made 43 appearances for them, before joining Angers and then returning to Marseille in 1994. He won three league titles with Marseille.
Alain Roche started his career at Bordeaux and joined Marseille in 1989 for a season. The defender then moved to Auxerre before joining PSG in 1992. He spent six seasons in the capital, making 193 appearances and winning seven trophies.
French midfielder Benoit Cauet played for three seasons at Marseille at the start of his senior career, winning two league titles and a Coupe de France between 1987 and 1990. He then played for Caen and Nantes before joining PSG in 1996 for a single season.
Xavier Gravelaine played for PSG as part of three different stints. He first joined them in 1993 before leaving for Strasbourg in 1994. He returned back to Paris in 1995 before joining Guingamp in the same year. In 1996, he joined Marseille for two seasons before again returning back to PSG in 1998.
Algerian international Djamel Belmadi made just one senior appearance for PSG at the start of his career before Martigues signed him in 1996. After impressing for them, Marseille signed the midfielder in 1997, but he left for Cannes in 1998. It was at Cannes that his performances forced Marseille to call him back in 1999. Belmadi spent four seasons at Marseille, making 48 appearances and scoring nine goals.
Patrick Colleter joined PSG in 1991 and went on to make 157 appearances for the club. The full-back won five trophies at PSG and joined Bordeaux in 1996 for a season before arriving at Marseille, where he also spent one season.
Former striker Florian Maurice scored 44 goals in 126 appearances for Lyon before PSG signed him in 1997. One season later, he left for Marseille where he scored 23 goals in 62 games.
One of the few players to make over 200 appearances for PSG, Daniel Bravo played for the club between 1989 and 1996. He later went on to play for Parma, Lyon, Marseille and Dundee in his career.
Jerome Leroy played for one season with Marseille which was sandwiched between his two spells with PSG. He played for PSG between 1994 and 1999 before joining Marseille in 2000. The attacking midfielder returned back to PSG in 2002 before joining Guingamp in 2003.
Kaba Diawara arrived at Marseille from Arsenal in 1999. In his one season at Marseille, he made 15 appearances before joining PSG in 2000. The striker made just 14 appearances in the French capital.
Cyrille Pouget had underwhelming spells at both clubs, making just 14 appearances for PSG in 1997 and 23 appearances for Marseille in 2000-01.
After over 200 appearances for Lyon, Bruno Ngotty joined PSG in 1995 and went on to win four titles at the club in three years. He joined Milan in 1998, but returned to France with Marseille in 2000.
Stephane Dalmat made the move to Marseille from Lens in 1999. The midfielder only played at the club for one season before joining PSG in 2000, where he again spent just one season before joining Inter.
Defensive midfielder Peter Luccin joined Marseille from Bordeaux in 1998 and impressed in his two seasons there, catching the eye of PSG, who signed him in 2000. He could only feature for one season in Paris before being loaned out and eventually sold to Celta.
Pascal Nouma enjoyed two different spells at PSG. The first came after graduating from their academy, between 1989 and 1992. He then left for Lille and Caen before returning to PSG in 1994. After moving to Strasbourg, Lens and Besiktas, Nouma joined Marseille in 2001 for one season.
Jerome Alonzo's stints for Marseille and PSG are sandwiched between his time at Saint-Etienne, where he made 100 appearances. Alonzo initially joined Marseille in 1995 and played there for two seasons. After Saint-Etienne, he joined PSG in 2001 and played there for seven years. The goalkeeper ended his career at Nantes.
Brazilian attacking midfielder Andre Luiz arrived on loan to Marseille from Spanish club Tenerife in 2001. He made 22 appearances for Marseille in the 2001-02 season. However, Luiz joined PSG in 2002 and left the club after a single season.
Frederic Dehu was a French defender known for his spell at Lens, where he made over 200 appearances before joining Barcelona in 1999 for a season. He joined PSG in 2000 and made 118 appearances in four years before joining Marseille in 2004, where he spent two seasons.
After an initial loan move to the capital from Guingamp, Fabrice Fiorese permanently joined PSG in 2002 and made 69 appearances for them before joining Marseille in 2004. The forward made just 18 appearances for Marseille.
Lorik Cana graduated from PSG's academy and went on to become a versatile defender. After a stint in their B team, Cana made 69 appearances for the senior team between 2002 and 2005 before joining Marseille. He made 122 appearances for Marseille in his four years at the club.
Cameroon midfielder Modeste M'bami arrived at PSG from fellow French club Sedan in 2003. He spent three years in the capital, making 83 appearances. M'Bami was then signed by Marseille in 2006 where he made 77 appearances in three seasons.
Marseille signed promising striker Peguy Luyindula from Lyon in 2004. However, things did not work out between the player and the club and he was sent on two loan spells at Auxerre and Levante. PSG gambled on him in 2007 and Luyindula went on to make 130 appearances for them, scoring 19 goals.
After graduating from PSG's academy, Fabrice Abriel made just two senior appearances for them before being sent out on loan to Servette and Amiens. He permanently joined Amiens in 2002, before joining Guingamp and Lorient and enjoying a successful spell at both clubs. This caught the attention of Marseille who signed him in 2009. Abriel played for two seasons at the club, making 54 appearances and winning four trophies at the club, including the Ligue 1 title.