Patrice de Peretti, known as Depé (born in Marseille on March 11, 1972, died in the same city on July 28, 2000), was an ultra supporter of the French football club Olympique de Marseille. Patrice de Peretti, nicknamed “Depé,” becomes a member of the supporters’ association “South Winners” – a reference to the southern terrace of the Stade Vélodrome. Very dedicated, he participates in all the trips organized by this group.
During a trip to Greece in 1989, for an OM match against AEK Athens, he notices a small group of Greek supporters who are all shirtless as a sign of support. From then on, he decides to imitate them and also attend Marseille team matches shirtless, wherever they take place and regardless of the outside temperature. He impresses in 1992 during a group stage match against CSKA Moscow played in Berlin due to weather conditions, remaining shirtless in -12°C (-10.4°F) throughout the entire match.
When Marseille became the European champion in 1993 at the Stade Vélodrome, Depé lifted the trophy to thunderous applause. He was appreciated by the players, other supporters, the technical teams, and the president, Bernard Tapie, despite the excesses he could display: his mere presence attracted the media and public attention, virtually guaranteeing ticket sales for stadium entry and boosting the likelihood of high viewership, along with the commercial success of the sports club. To the extent that Bernard Tapie once felt compelled to have him released from apprehension on a match night, lest he face the wrath of the fans and even potentially have to postpone the game.
In 1994, Patrice de Peretti decided to leave the South Winners and create his own group “MTP” (Marseille Trop Puissant), for which he secured places at the top of the northern stand, alongside other supporter clubs. His group would have more than 3,000 members.
He died suddenly on July 28, 2000, from a ruptured aneurysm. As a tribute, the northern stand of the Stade Vélodrome – previously named after the Marseille boxer Ray Grassi (1930-1953) – was renamed in his honor in July 2002, even though he never directly brought victory or medals to the city of Marseille.