“Mbappe? It helps to get him to France, but the league is more than him. “

There are people who live many lives within one. Pablo Longoria (Oviedo, June 9, 1986) is one of them. As a child he learned all the teams in Series A thanks to the game PC Soccer, where he began to nurture a passion that over the years became his job. After working as a scout for Newcastle, he advised Recreativo de Huelva, Atalanta, Sassuolo, Juventus and Valencia until he landed at Olympique de Marseille, where he went from general manager to president at just 34 years old. A record of precocity that can only be explained thanks to his unconditional passion and a job that propelled him to manage the only French club with the European Cup.

Is PSG an unattainable team?

Unattainable is a somewhat exaggerated word. In any case, I think in any championship the difference is made by the budgets that each club receives. A classification is often established based on the amount of money each is invoiced. From my perspective, the goal is to get one step closer each year.

What is the taste of second place at the table?

When I was in Valencia, I commented that finishing fourth means winning our league. The second in France wins over us. Reaching the Champions League and doing it consistently over time is the most important thing because it strengthens the club and allows it to work calmly and quietly.

Will CVC capital inflow reduce these differences in the medium term?

This economic injection will allow to have a different championship than today. In the near future, distances between clubs will be reduced, there will be a more competitive league and a group of French teams will be created that play regularly in Europe.

Why did Al Khelaifi give away part of the cake?

Because there is a need to make changes and we all agree. Al Khelaifi din. If the distribution is made as in Spain, PSG will receive more money, but if the intention is to produce more equality, as is the case, CVC has been fair in this approach. The basic concept is to make the competition attractive to sell commercially each year.

France has always exported a lot of talent. Will that change thanks to this agreement?

That is another problem that needs to be solved. The market doesn’t offer possibilities and the French teams are retaining a lot of talent this year, and that’s why Ligue 1 has improved, but we need to continue in that direction. It should also be considered that this capital contribution will be in favor of all clubs from the middle table down with 36 million euros over the next three years. Many no longer have to sell.

Is being president more demanding and more boring than learning the players?

This position is very demanding, but nothing boring because each day is different from the previous one. There are problems every day and I try to be aware of many things, but I am very happy.

Are you good at managing the passions and emotions of so many people?

I have to think like them and I know I represent a club with a very special sense of unity in the city. Once you understand that, you are closer to the way of life of the people of Marseille.

Why would you say that this experience will be the last of the elite?

Hopefully I can last in Marseille, although it depends on the results. I discovered the passion of this city, the demands of the position and I lived it very intensely, and I think after that I would feel empty and cheat on the next club that wanted to sign me. Since I won’t be able to reproduce both sensations, I prefer to be honest with myself. Later? I want to travel the world again.

Is the president of Marseille interested in having Mbappé in France or does he not care?

Having him helps, but France is more than Kylian. In Spain, it was said that Messi and Cristiano were a locomotive that helped television rights be sold better and, without a lie, after they left the money went up. Having the best footballers is a plus, but at the end of the day, the product is generally broader than an individual name.

Do you think you are on the same level as Messi?

This marks differences on a domestic and European level. He is a top international player. I always say that the problem for an intermediate generation over the years has been that Messi and Cristiano have overshadowed them and now another is coming to be faced by a different kind of footballer. The young emerging are athletes, very vertical and fast soccer players, with acceleration conditioned by the kind of game seen today.

Has a youth ever felt trapped in the mind of an adult?

Its a very good question. By the time I started working, I thought my age and what I was doing didn’t match the norm among young people. I need to have more biological years to have more time.

What do you have to give up in this life?

Sure there are many things, but when you have this desire you have to develop, and you do it voluntarily.

At 18, you want to go out and have fun. What do you usually think?

My friends thought of going out to party and it occurred to me that at that time I would be able to watch Argentine league games on weekends. But following a passion is not bad or a sacrifice. On the contrary, a pleasure.

What did they think at home?

My family has always encouraged and supported me. I appreciated it because they also nurtured that passion.

Do you remember the first big name you put on a president’s table?

I remember the summer we spent in Huelva in 2006. That was my first experience and the project was very good: Jesús Vázquez, Santi Cazorla, and especially Sinama-Pongolle. I think that was my first big signing. We paid 4 million euros to Liverpool and it was a risky bet, but it worked out.

What does it take to see talent?

Primary sensitivity to knowing how to see that a talent can fit into your team, into what you want to build and into your coach. Imagine a player playing for a different team, with another coach and with a different game system within that you want to do.

Does it take more than talent to determine?

Personality makes a difference.

Brentford is paying attention to the possibility. Can you be successful based on numbers?

In Marseille we use a lot of artificial intelligence, data analysis and all that helps in making decisions, but when you work with human capital, that sensitivity factor is important because we’re talking about people and psychology.

Is Marseille following Deulofeu?

It’s not disrespectful to Udinese for me to talk about Deulofeu, but his style matches our way of playing, where there are a lot of individual rivalries. He has unmistakable technical conditions and has reached the level of maturity and stability that has made him one of the best players in Serie A.

Does winning the Conference League have to be a starting point?

It is important to win, and a club with the history and level of demand of Olympique de Marseille is obliged to compete until the end.

Fewer people because of UEFA sanctions. What about the radicals in France?

It’s a topic that has been giving conversation for a long time, but I think it has to do with the general frustration that exists in society and has clearly shown itself on the stands of stadiums in France. It affects us without our fans because it’s our strength and the Vélodrome is one of the hardest places to play as an opponent.

In Spain or England this is an eradicated problem. How is this issue discussed?

It depends on the society. France is a place with a lot of individual freedom of decision -making, which is one of the values ​​of the Republic, and that mentality is why other countries like Belgium and Switzerland see this conflict happening. in a different place. It is part of the mentality and social values ​​that change during a pandemic. I don’t think it’s a problem of a particular town or locality. In any case, violence will always be eradicated because it is never justified.