OM 2005-2006 Away Long Sleeve Shirt - Beye No. 23 (L)

The sky blue fabric has kept its colour, with no holes or snags, and the Neuf Telecom sponsor is complete. The embroidered crest and the adidas logo are intact. The weak point is the three silver stripes on the shoulders and sleeves: the metallic coating is cracked and partly worn away (photos 6 and 7). It is the classic wear of this finish on adidas shirts of the period, and it is what sets the grade at 7/10.

This L measures 55 x 76 cm. Compare with the flat measurements below, or check my size guide.

Flat measurements

Lay a shirt that fits you well flat, measure it the same way and compare.

Key facts about this piece

The silver stripes on the shoulders and sleeves are cracked and have lost part of their metallic shine, visible in photos 6 and 7. The rest of the shirt is sound: fabric, sponsor, crest and seams show no notable wear.

✦ Lifetime authenticity guarantee

Piece checked by hand in my authentication workshop. If a piece bought from me ever turned out not to be authentic, I refund it in full. No expiry date: only original pieces, never modern reissues.

• Label and product code: code 110225 and date 08/05 on the small label sewn next to the adidas brand label, made in Morocco (photo 4)
• OM crest: white M, gold star and the motto "Droit au but" embroidered, tight stitching and clean outlines (photo 3)
• adidas logo: performance logo embroidered in white, lying flat on the sky blue (photo 3)
• Cut and finish: black ribbed round collar, black vertical stripe sewn onto the chest, mesh panels under the arms and ribbed cuffs (photos 1 and 2)

Marseille 2005-2006, a season of cups

Under Jean Fernandez, OM had an up-and-down league campaign but shone in the knockout competitions. Marseille finished fifth in Ligue 1 and found their way back into Europe through the side door.

2005 Intertoto Cup winners. In the final, OM turned the tie around against Deportivo La Coruña and earned a UEFA Cup place in the summer.

2006 Coupe de France final. At the Stade de France, Marseille lost 2-1 to PSG in a Classique with a trophy at stake.

Habib Beye, who arrived from Strasbourg in 2003, was then a mainstay on OM's right flank. A Senegal international, he had played the 2002 World Cup with the Lions of Teranga, quarter-finalists of the tournament.

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