Marseille: the author of Olive and Tom makes a surprise visit to the Vélodrome

"Stars in his eyes" when he stepped onto the Vélodrome pitch for the first time last weekend. As reported by Franceinfo , Yoichi Takahashi took advantage of his visit to Marseille for the Japan Expo Sud, where he was the guest of honor, to stop by the stadium at the invitation of Olympique de Marseille .

An almost obligatory excursion for the Japanese mangaka known for Captain Tsubasa , a football manga adapted into an animated series known in France as Olive and Tom . First published in 1981, Takahashi's work has largely won the hearts of football fans, experiencing multiple adaptations and a hundred translated broadcasts throughout the world. Nearly 90 million copies of the manga have been sold worldwide in just over forty years , as reported by the specialist site Mangazenkan cited by AFP.

A global success that did not prevent Yoichi Takahashi from calling it a day last year and making his hero, Tsubasa Ozora, hang up his boots. "This decision was not easy to make and could disappoint and sadden those who love reading Captain Tsubasa, but I hope you will understand it," he wrote in a letter to his readers.

At the velodrome, where he was presented with an OM jersey bearing his name, Yoichi Takahashi was greeted by Jean-Pierre Papin himself. The former French international and former star scorer of the club, who is now the reserve team coach, confessed to being a "fan from the very beginning" of the author. "I think we all watched (the anime, editor's note) in the world of football. It reflected a little bit of everything we all hoped for: the success, the beautiful goals, the crowd in the stands. It had everything!" he told our colleagues .