Reims lose to Marseille on top flight return
Reuters - Sunday 12 August 2012, 22:41
Stade Reims were sunk by a late
Benoit Cheyrou goal as they lost 1-0 at home to Olympique
Marseille on their return to the top flight after a 33-year
absence on Sunday.
Cheyrou volleyed home Charles Kabore's cross at the far post
in the 77th minute of the Ligue 1 game after the nine-times
French champions dominated the second half.
Reims won six French titles, all between 1949 and 1962 and
also reached the European Cup final twice in the early days of
the competition.
But they have hit troubled times since relegation in 1979,
at one point dropping into non-league football amid severe
financial difficulties, and were in the third tier only three
seasons ago.
Cheyrou's goal gave Marseille coach Elie Baup a winning
league start after he stepped to replace Didier Deschamps who
left after three seasons to take charge of France.
Marseille are aiming to improve on last season's 10th place,
their worst finish in more than a decade.