Marcelino was left behind in the Marseille expedition

The coach of Olympique de MarseilleThe Spanish Marcelino Garcia Toralwas not part of the French club’s expedition that left this Wednesday for Amsterdam for Thursday’s Europa League duel against Ajaxwhich is interpreted as a step before he leaves the Marseille bench.

This news was learned a few hours after the president of the club, also Spanish Pablo Longoriagreat supporter of Marcellin as a coach, and other board members, will temporarily step down from their roles due to the harsh criticism fans have received for their management.

According to the newspaper ‘L’Equipe‘, Marcellin decided to leave Marseilles and he made it known to several players and club employees on Tuesday, although the news was not officially announced.

Out of the Champions League

The coach, who arrived at the beginning of the season to replace the Croatian Igor Tudorwho decided not to extend his adventure in France, directed only seven official matches, during which he failed to qualify the team for the Champions League and achieved only two victories in five league matches.

The tie against Toulouse last Sunday in front of his audience, with a bad team game, which led to a big fight in the stands and, the next day, Longoria and its governing body received the main leaders of the fan groups of the most followed team in France.

At that meeting, furious, they demanded the removal of Longoriawho has been accused of promoting his friends within the club since his appointment in 2021 by the owner of the entity, the American billionaire Frank McCourt.

According to the statement issued this Tuesday by the club, Longoria He received harsh threats, which led him to step down from his duties because he considered “individual attacks and all forms of unfounded public defamation” “unacceptable”.

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“A relationship based on intimidation cannot guarantee minimum acceptable conditions so that the club’s board can continue the transformation of Marseille,” the note continued.

According to some attendees, Longoria They did not threaten him and only demanded his resignation, while they criticized him for the way he dealt with some of the club’s history, such as Steve Mandanda, Dimitre Payet either Matteo Guendouzior the Chilean departure Alexis Sanchezwhile criticizing signings such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

PSG on the horizon

The tension has turned the club into a tinderbox at a crucial moment of the season, ahead of their first Europa League clash and a few days before the Clásico against Paris Saint-Germain next Sunday at the Parc des Princes.

He OM these two appointments will be dealt with in the middle of the crisis. Jacques Abandonadohistoric footballer of the club and member of the coaching staff of Marcellinwill sit on Johan Cruyff’s bench in Amsterdam this Thursday, while he will be supported in his work by David Friocurrent sports director of the entity.

It is expected that in the next few hours he will intervene McCourt to give direction to a club that seems to be adrift, with a total divorce between the fans, always passionate and noisy at the Velodrome, and the management.

Longoriawho worked in several clubs, became president of Marseilles in January 2021 after fans forcibly took over the club’s training center demanding the departure of his predecessor, Jacques-Henri Eyraudnamed by McCourt.

During this time, the OM He had two consecutive seasons ending on the Ligue 1 podium, something he had not achieved since 2011. But he had no luck on the bench, where he saw the Argentine suddenly leave his position. Jorge Sampaolidissatisfied with the management transfer policy and Igor Tudorwhich led to the appointment of Marcellinpersonal friend of Longoriaa decision that was not accepted by the majority, who preferred a more prestigious coach.

The elimination in the previous rounds of the Champions League and the poor performance of the team ended up darkening the atmosphere and putting Marseilles On the edge of the cliff.