Olympique de Marseille's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has insisted that the southern giants will not give up on the idea of beating bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique this Sunday.
The two sides will meet at Stade Velodrome and it is the first time the pair will clash since OM have had money to spend thanks to their new foreign owner, Frank McCourt.
Speaking with Agence France Presse via L'Equipe, Zubizarreta stated Marseille will not be defeated by the might of PSG before they even take to the pitch but admitted the OM project will take some time to rival that of their capital city rivals.
"We know this project will take time to mature," said the Spaniard. "We will not abandon anything though. We will not, for example, give up on the idea of beating PSG this Sunday. Of course not. However, we know we must give our project time to gain momentum.
"PSG's 4-0 win over Barcelona? I do not watch Barca's matches, it is a question of psychology.
"PSG? [Unai] Emery is in the process of developing his idea, a footballing culture, professional team spirit regarding their approach before, during and after training. This is bigger than the performances of two or three players.
"PSG should be able to apply themselves each week by now. Luis Aragones once said 'there are 28 other matches to play in the league but 10 are the most important' and those are the ones where there is pressure, injuries and unpredictable elements."
Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud is delighted that Stade Velodrome will be sold out for the visit of PSG, even though visiting supporters have been banned from making the trip from the capital.
"We will be around 64-65,000 people on Sunday," Eyraud told La Provence. "It is exceptional. I look forward to being there as I believe we will witness an atmosphere rarely seen.
"During these sorts of big clashes, it is something unique. I am very pleased to say we have sold out."
Although he is injured and will miss the match, Marseille captain Bafetimbi Gomis believes his side can beat PSG if they make a strong start to Sunday's match and use the boiling atmosphere to their advantage.
"I joined OM to play this sort of match, so I am very sad to miss it," Gomis admitted to La Provence. "The two PSG matches are the first fixtures everyone looks for.
"We did well away from home in difficult circumstances and the team has progressed since then. We have the means to win this game and with a big crowd behind us, I have no doubt we can win.
"If we start well, PSG will struggle because of the atmosphere."
PSG currently trail Monaco by three points at the Ligue 1 summit, while Marseille are in sixth and level on points with Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux.