Olympique Marseille corruption scandal and Bernard Tapie's downfall

The 1993 victory of Olympique Marseille in the Champions League marked both the pinnacle of the club's era and the beginning of a major downfall for owner Bernard Tapie. After acquiring the club for one franc in 1986, Tapie invested heavily in star players to achieve European dominance.

However, the club's success was marred by a corruption scandal involving a match against Valenciennes on May 20, 1993. Investigations revealed that players from Valenciennes were bribed to underperform to ensure Marseille remained fresh for their final against AC Milan. Valenciennes captain Christophe Robert admitted to accepting bribes, and 250,000 francs were discovered in a relative's garden.

While Marseille retained their European Cup title, the consequences were severe domestically. The club was stripped of its 1992/93 French league title and was eventually relegated to the second division in 1994.