PARIS -- Frank McCourts plans to bring Marseille back to the top of French and European soccer could be undermined by local criminals.Winger Florian Thauvin became the latest victim of the southern citys notorious thieves this week, suffering a vicious attack near his home in a chic neighborhood of the port city.Thauvin was attacked and strangled by two men on motorbikes who crashed into his car before they tried to steal his luxury watch. The Newcastle loanee managed to flee the scene and escaped uninjured but the incident highlighted once again the violence to which players are regularly exposed in a city with a long history of organized crime.According to the LEquipe newspaper, at least 12 players and officials from the club have been victims of robberies or thefts since 2011, a poor record slowing down Marseilles development because it makes it difficult to attract top-quality players.Five years ago, midfielder Lucho Gonzalez was robbed of his luxury car and credit cards by armed men who broke into his house, while then-Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier had his house robbed during a Champions League game abroad. The same year, defender Vitorino Hilton was attacked in his home and hit on the head while armed men held his family hostage. He left the club soon after.It creates a very unpleasant climate, Dassier said in an interview with LEquipe. It does help building a serene and calm atmosphere in the changing room.The assault on Thauvin was the first reported on a Marseille player since McCourts arrival at the former French champions. But it followed another incident in August involving former Marseille sports director Gunter Jacob, who was reportedly robbed of his car and computer while asleep at his rented villa. Jacob left the club three months after he was hired, replaced by Andoni Zubizarreta.McCourt, the former owner of baseballs Los Angeles Dodgers, bought the club last month and has pledged to restore Marseilles battered image. The club is the only French outfit to have won the Champions League, beating AC Milan in 1993. It has won the French title nine times but not since 2010, and has fallen way behind rival Paris Saint-Germain since it was bought by Qatari investors five years ago.But with the winter transfer window looming, taking PSG off its perch will be a tall order if the club fails to build a competitive squad because of the citys lack of attraction, in spite of McCourts vow to invest 200 million euros over four years as part of his project to rebuild the club. For now, Marseille is languishing in 12th place in the French league, 15 points behind Mediterranean neighbor Nice, the surprise leaders who recruited Mario Balotelli and Dante.---This story has been corrected to show that the incident involving Gunter Jacob happened in August, not last year. Air Max 270 Mens Clearance . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Nike Air Max 270 Discount .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. http://www.max270cheap.com/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Air Max 270 React Bauhaus AT6174-002 . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. Nike Air Max 270 Sale Outlet . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. The MVP race is the closest that NBA coverage gets to political coverage, with an election at the end. When Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, the MVP horse race opened up to a lot more candidates, with the optics of Durants move changing the narrative.Here are the 12 maajor players in what is shaping up to be a wild race, including the two front-runners, with the potential for a surprise winner.dddddddddddd ' ' '