Olympique de Marseille and Aix-Marseille University Sign Multi-Year Framework Agreement.

Roger Hampel

Image: Olympique de Marseille (OM)

Olympique de Marseille (OM) and Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) have signed a multi-year framework agreement formalising a long-term collaboration between the Ligue 1 club and one of France’s largest academic institutions. The partnership covers four strategic pillars: sports performance, re-athletisation and return-to-play, education & employability, and social impact across the Marseille region.

The agreement reflects a broader trend in European football: clubs increasingly building structured relationships with universities to strengthen scientific foundations, optimise performance processes and expand community influence.

Performance Science as a Strategic Asset for Elite Football Olympique de Marseille

The partnership’s core component focuses on applying AMU’s academic expertise to OM’s high-performance environment. Joint work will involve:

• sports-science research,

• biomechanical analysis,

• data interpretation,

• and applied insights for training and match preparation.

The objective is to turn scientific output into practical tools used within daily football operations — bridging the gap between academic research and fieldwork.

OM and AMU will also create a shared re-athletisation and performance unit, designed to standardise return-to-play pathways. This will include personalised recovery programmes, objective readiness metrics and integrated data-tracking tools. The unit aims to reduce injury risk, shorten recovery cycles and improve long-term athlete availability — a growing priority in top-level football.

Building Pathways Between Academia and Sport

Beyond performance, the agreement includes a structured education and employability programme. OM and AMU will co-design training modules spanning:

• sport management,

• high-performance operations,

• sports medicine and movement science,

• and event operations.

These programmes will take the form of initial education tracks, continuing development, apprenticeships, guest lectures and supervised projects. Importantly, academic calendars and club schedules will be synchronised to create practical, sustainable pathways for students seeking careers in the sports industry.

This reflects an increasing need for skilled professionals in European football, where clubs require expertise across data, performance, medicine, commercial operations and event logistics.