Football journalist 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇫🇷 Writing: The Athletic, FourFourTwo | Talking: Totally Football Show, French Football Show, Canal+ | Books: Do You Speak Football? and Va-Va-Voom | www.tomwfootball.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mlzvo4y4p22cThere’s been off-pitch turmoil, on-pitch mediocrity and their entire season hinges on the outcome of tonight’s game against Rennes. So it felt like it was probably time for my biannual ‘What the hell is going on at Marseille?’ piece for @theathleticfc.bsky.social https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7282040/2026/05/17/marseille-mayhem-tension-fire-extinguisher-prank-but-hope-of-quieter-days-ahead/?source=user_shared_article17 May 2026 08:05 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlzvo4y4p22chttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3ml7m4qkeis2qPSG have made one change to their starting XI from last season – downgrading Gianluigi Donnarumma to Matvei Safonov – and yet somehow have got even better. Terrifying in attack and came within seconds tonight of shutting out one of the best forward lines in recent memory on their own patch.06 May 2026 21:05 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7m4qkeis2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mkxaw6ipqc2pWe go live now to the player ratings from La Provence after Marseille’s 3-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Nantes yesterday03 May 2026 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkxaw6ipqc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mkpcuctkbk2iStill a few tickets remaining for this event to mark the paperback launch of Va-Va-Voom (entry is free but you have to register). It’s at The Volley in Shoreditch on May 11 and you‘ll be able to ask me literally anything (within reason) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/va-va-voom-the-modern-history-of-french-football-tickets-198438322765230 Apr 2026 09:36 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpcuctkbk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mklfxy5wvk24This is ridiculous.28 Apr 2026 20:22 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mklfxy5wvk24https://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mkldk74ycc2gLots of things to dislike about modern football, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, Luis Diaz and Harry Kane all being on the same pitch at the same time is not one of them.28 Apr 2026 19:38 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkldk74ycc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mk3cueptdk2eBrilliant L’Equipe front page showing the pitch invasion that followed Lens’ win over Toulouse in the Coupe de France semi-finals last night. Just people enjoying the moment, not a phone in sight22 Apr 2026 10:43 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3cueptdk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mjkrzb7xy22xOlise curling in a beauty to seal it in the 94th minute and then Madrid’s players having a headloss. 10/10 finale, no notes.15 Apr 2026 20:59 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjkrzb7xy22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mjknwnkpg227Bayern-Real Madrid is almost comically entertaining.15 Apr 2026 19:46 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjknwnkpg227https://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mjibozqyqs2gPSG slightly fortuitous – came under heavy pressure in second half and survived that slightly fishy overturned penalty. But a sign they can pull off big wins when not quite at their best. Huge night for Matvei Safonov. And Ousmane Dembele provides yet more evidence that last season wasn't a one-off.14 Apr 2026 21:02 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjibozqyqs2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mjia5rdkts2tClear evidence from VAR that there was no hint of a foul in the penalty area14 Apr 2026 20:34 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjia5rdkts2thttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mj5trn2xj22iParis FC 3-0 up at home to in-form Monaco inside 22 minutes. And it should be 4-0. Two for Jonathan Ikone and a goal and an assist for Ciro Immobile. Le pools coupon already in pieces.10 Apr 2026 17:26 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5trn2xj22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mj2gly4v422hPSG are good aren’t they? If only there was a book that explained how they got so good and placed their achievements in the context of the recent history of French footba- Va-Va-Voom, fully revised and updated and out in paperback TODAY! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Va-Va-Voom-Modern-History-French-Football/dp/139940396609 Apr 2026 08:52 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj2gly4v422hhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3miz6as7yus2wPSG: quite possibly, officially back. More as we get it.08 Apr 2026 20:50 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3miz6as7yus2whttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3miwlzp6q6c2jWhen Michael Olise is in this kind of form (which, let’s face it, is quite often), there is no better footballer to watch in the entire world.07 Apr 2026 20:19 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwlzp6q6c2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mip2qp43oc2bDon’t know how this Southampton-Arsenal game is going to end but I really hope it involves one of those balloons.04 Apr 2026 20:21 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mip2qp43oc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mioxlbjj2s2lUpdate: tifo has been taken down and play has resumed, although the smoke – trapped by Stade Pierre-Mauroy’s closed roof – still hasn’t fully cleared [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Apr 2026 19:24 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mioxlbjj2s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3mioxdgwqi22lIncredible start to the Derby du Nord between Lille and Lens. Lille fans’ tifo got stuck so none of the fans behind it could see what was happening and now the game’s been suspended because there’s so much smoke on the pitch from flares that the players can’t see each other either04 Apr 2026 19:20 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mioxdgwqi22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/tomwfootball.bsky.social/post/3miisjrc6o22wKylian Mbappe has been France's captain for three years and it has already been quite the ride. For @theathleticfc.bsky.social, I’ve written about his role in the squad, how his relationship with the armband has evolved over time and the kind of captain he is growing into https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7139364/2026/04/02/kylian-mbappe-france-captain/02 Apr 2026 08:38 +0000at://did:plc:2mtuchorrzkka7nydycb5d3f/app.bsky.feed.post/3miisjrc6o22w