In addition to these twelve months of blocking on the transfer market, OM also received a fine of "just over two million euros", according to a source with knowledge of the file interviewed by AFP, confirming information from L'Equipe.

The procedure had been opened in February 2021 by Watford, with which Gueye had agreed before withdrawing and joining the French club.

The player, who is currently with Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, has been suspended for four months from all official competitions, with OM as with his selection.

He was notified a few days ago of this sanction taken by the Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber and, on Friday, he was unable to play with the Lions of Teranga against Guinea (0-0) at the CAN.

In the evening, OM published a press release to announce their intention, as well as that of Gueye, to appeal "before the Court of Arbitration for Sport so that both the merits of their positions and the absence from all reproaches which could have been wrongly imputed to them".

Fragile finances

This appeal procedure is coupled with another request aimed at obtaining a suspensive effect of the sanctions during the appeal procedure.

Questioned by AFP, Fifa had not made comments at the start of the evening.

For the Provençal club, in full reconstruction after a chaotic 2020-2021 season and the stormy end of the Jacques-Henri Eyraud presidency, the sanction is in any case very heavy.

If confirmed, it would mean for OM the inability to act during two consecutive transfer windows.

However, with its fragile finances, Marseille is counting on the transfer window to strengthen its workforce with inexpensive operations.

The club is also currently under the supervision of the DNCG, the body responsible for verifying the accounts of French clubs, which confirmed in November the supervision of its payroll.

Presented to the press on Friday, the Congolese striker Cédric Bakambu is thus not yet qualified, the procedures for approving his contract being delayed.

The president of Olympique de Marseille, the Spaniard Pablo Longoria, during a press conference, on January 14, 2022 in Marseille, during the presentation of the new recruit of OM, the Congolese striker Cédrick Bakambu Nicolas TUCAT AFP

With this sanction from Fifa, the current Marseille president Pablo Longoria inherits in any case an embarrassing file and which dates from before his arrival at the club, first as sports director.

Unilateral termination

Before joining OM in the summer of 2020, Pape Gueye, trained in Le Havre, had signed a pre-contract with Watford.

At the end of April 2020, the English club had even announced his signing for five years, from the following July 1.

But Gueye, selected for the French youth teams before opting in October 2021 for Senegal, the country of origin of his parents, had in the meantime terminated this contract unilaterally for formal defects.

OM, then chaired by Jacques-Henri Eyraud, took advantage of the opportunity despite the risk of litigation, materialized a few months later by the appeal filed last February by Watford before Fifa.

According to the source consulted by AFP, Fifa would have estimated that OM had played a role in the breach of the contract between Watford and Gueye, which the Provencal club, which considers to have solid arguments to defend its future appeal, disputes .

The player, he suffered a major setback in his career.

Without being an indisputable holder, he is indeed an important element of the Marseille midfield, this season with Jorge Sampaoli as before with André Villas-Boas.

Senegalese midfielder from Marseille, Pape Gueye, tries to dribble past Paris Saint-Germain striker, Kylian Mbappé and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti, during the 24th day of Ligue 1, February 7, 2021 at the Stade Vélodrome NICOLAS TUCAT AFP/Archives

Regularly questioned about the dispute between OM and Watford, he always said he was "serene" and "focused on football".

© 2022 AFP