Olympique de Marseille remain France’s only European champions, and few clubs generate such fervour. These are the ten players who most defined the Vélodrome.

1. 1

   Jean-Pierre Papin

   Marseille · France

   A 1991 Ballon d’Or winner and a serial top scorer of stunning volleys.

2. 2

   Didier Drogba

   Marseille · Ivory Coast

   The explosive striker whose breakout season announced a world-class talent.

3. 3

   Basile Boli

   Marseille · France

   The defender whose header won the 1993 Champions League, the club’s crowning glory.

4. 4

   Rudi Völler

   Marseille · Germany

   A World Cup-winning striker and a key figure of the European champions.

5. 5

   Chris Waddle

   Marseille · England

   A gifted, beloved winger who thrilled the Vélodrome in the early 1990s.

6. 6

   Franck Ribéry

   Marseille · France

   A dazzling talent whose Marseille years launched a glittering career.

7. 7

   Josip Skoblar

   Marseille · Yugoslavia

   A record-breaking goalscorer and European Golden Boot winner of the early 1970s.

8. 8

   Dimitri Payet

   Marseille · France

   A modern creative talisman of set-piece brilliance and spectacular goals.

9. 9

   Mamadou Niang

   Marseille · Senegal

   A powerful, prolific striker and captain of the 2010 title winners.

10. 10

    Steve Mandanda

    Marseille · France

    A one-club goalkeeper across many years and the club’s modern appearance record-holder.

A LeaguePaper editorial ranking — opinion, offered for argument.