Marseille retained the title of the French League.
The new-old champion demolished Noisy in the return leg of the playoffs final – 13:7 and recorded a 30:10 in the aggregate score (after a 17:13 victory in the first leg)
Marseille finished the league season with a perfect 22 – 0 record (18 wins in as many games in the regular season and four victories in the playoffs). Besides, the team coached by Milos Scepanovic won the French Cup with a perfect record (all three wins).
This season’s trophy is the second consecutive title of the French Champion for Marseille, and the 13th in the 21st century. Last year, the club celebrated its 100th birthday (it was founded in 1921). In 1965, Marseille became the French champion for the first time. Since then, the reigning champion has won 39th trophies in the national league.
Tourcoing won the bronze medal.
2021/22 French League, playoffs
Finals (best of two), 2nd leg
Marseille – Noisy-le-Sec 13:7 (3:1, 5:1, 4:0, 1:5) – 1st leg 17:13
Marseille: Crousillat 3, Marion-Vernoux 3, Vernoux 2,Prlainovic 1,Bouet 1, Kovacevic 1, Vukicevic 1, Bodegas 1.
Noisy-le-Sec: Petkovic 3, Caumette 2, Marzouki 1, Krapic 1.
Several days ago, Marseille recorded a 17:13 win in Paris, but the game was quite open until the fourth period.
Today’s match in Marseille lacked excitement. Marseille started very well and built a 10-goal lead before the final eight minutes. The home side dictated the pace until the end of the third period.
The hosts earned a 3:0 lead in the first quarter. Four seconds before the first break, Noisy got on the scoreboard. Caumette converted a man-up (1:3).
But, Marseille ruined all of Noisy’s hopes in the second period. The home side opened the third period in the same way as the first quarter – with three straight goals (Prlainovic, Vukicevic and Crousillat) to jump to 6:1. In the 14th minute, Noisy earned a penalty shot. The hosts’ goalkeeper Dejan Lazovic was excluded, so Antonio Petkovic hadn’t the complex task and he found the net for 2:6. However, Marseille stretched the margin to six by the end of the first half (8:2), and scored four unanswered goals in the third period for a vast 12:2 advantage before the final period.
The hosts slowed down after the last break and Noisy reduced the gap.
Third-place playoffs (best of two),2nd leg
Strasbourg – Tourcoing 16:13 (3:1, 2:3, 7:5, 4:4) – 1st leg 8:13
Strasbourg: Cesca 5, Bachelier 3, Buha 2, Valentino 2, Chion 1, Missy 1, Vix 1, Misic 1
Tourcoing: Rocchietta 4, Canonne 3, Kujacic 2, Gagulic 2, Cathudal 1, Krisman 1.
Strasbourg defeated Tourcoing in the return leg of the 3rd-place playoffs, but it didn’t overcome a 5-goal deficit from the first match.
Strasbourg had a 4-goal lead a few times (9:4, 10:6, 13:9, 14:10). In the middle of the fourth period, Tourcoing halved the deficit (12:14) which was a turning point. Tourcoing, qualified for the 1st round of the Champions League qualifications. Several days ago, Tourcoing confirmed that it had made an agreement with Petar Kovacevic, who will be a head coach in the next season. Kovacevic, who arrives from Spandau Berlin, had already worked in France as a head coach of the national team and Marseille.
