Will Pablo Longoria win over the very demanding OM supporters?

• Pablo Longoria is described as a hard worker, a football geek who spends hours on statistical software.
• The new sports director of OM comes out of a rather positive experience in Valencia.
• Marseille supporters, however, remain wary and await the first recruitments to judge their new "head of football. "

First rave echoes. The former sporting director of the Girondins de Bordeaux Eduardo Macia assures us that his Spanish compatriot "is one of the best scouts, who does not make noise but who likes to work". A French agent, who has made several deals with Pablo Longoria, agrees: “He works in intelligence with the clubs to set up a sports policy over the medium term with a desire for short-term results. "Benjamin Sabran, co-founder of the media Valencia-Sports, is also enthusiastic about the new sports director of OM:" He is a man in the shadows who knows how to work as a team. He's a smart guy. "

These three testimonies are in line with the main comments that followed the appointment of Pablo Longoria as OM's “head of football”. However, many Marseille supporters remain wary.

"He has different missions in Marseille"

“On paper”, Jérémy is convinced. “But I am wary of paper with OM. Matter of experience. Everything will depend on the leeway that Frank McCourt and Jacques-Henri Eyraud give him, as well as his interactions with André Villas-Boas. “At 33, will Pablo Longoria have the guts to win against the other Olympians leaders? His youth and lack of experience worried Wahid, another supporter: “His possible past successes are not a guarantee of his success at OM. In Marseille, he has different missions from what he may have had before, in particular contract management. "

OM: Director11 software, “Data Lab”… What tools will sports director Pablo Longoria have? https://t.co/pbRY5HQyY1 via @ 20minutesmars pic.twitter.com/T6AvLTEir9

So far, the “geek” Pablo Longoria has mainly worked as a recruiter or as a recruiting director (Newcastle, Huelva, Atalanta Bergamo, Sassuolo, Juventus). He was Valencia's sporting director for a short year and a half. This experience worries Jean-Yves: “The harsh criticisms of Vicente [Valencian leader who assures us that Longoria 'scammed and mistreated” him] and the rather short aspect of his passage make us think about his ability to adapt. "

"When you were in Valence, you fear nothing"

For François-Miguel Boudet, this short experience should not worry Marseille supporters: “There was a cart with the departures of Pablo Longoria, coach Marcelino and Mateu Alemany, the general manager because of dissensions with the president ”, recalls the co-founder of FuriaLiga. "In a year and a half, the trio has doubled the market value of the workforce, with two qualifications for the Champions League and a King's Cup," adds Benjamin Sabran, of Valencia-Sports.

🚨 Pablo #Longoria would be elected from #TeamOM to become "Head of Football". Offered to the 4 corners of Europe since his ouster from Valencia CF in September 2019, the Asturian has a solid CV and some enmities among the Blanquinegros.

By @fmboudet ➡ https://t.co/alZFzkGqh0 pic.twitter.com/49D4nfjb0D

Despite these good sports results, the three men were fired like messes. "Valencia is the only club which entered into crisis after an almost perfect season, under the pretext that the staff had gone against the orders of the president", contextualizes François-Miguel Boudet. After such an experience, Pablo Longoria seems armed to support the legendary versatility of OM supporters. "When you were in Valence, you fear nothing", concludes the journalist, who considers that "OM is the French cousin of Valence in terms of popular pressure. "

"Redoing Drogba, Nasri, Valbuena"

Legend has it that Pablo Longoria watches seven to eight games a day - with a passion for the little-followed championships in Eastern and Northern Europe. With the help of scouting software, he then made his market there, with the objective of recruiting players at low prices who would be sold at a higher price a few years later. In short, he will be the man of “player trading” dear to Frank McCourt, who no longer wants to invest at a loss.

His CV sticks to the job description defined (on LinkedIn) by Jacques-Henri Eyraud. "His profile matches: he has eyes everywhere, he is able to find inexpensive but talented players," Chris hopes. "He can find young players with high potential in order to make the investments profitable when they are sold," says Guillaume. This Marseille supporter, who calls himself “GuillOM” on social networks, challenges OM's new “head of football”: “We have to redo Drogba, Nasri, Mendy, Valbuena! " Just that.

Sport

OM: Director11 software, “Data Lab”… What tools will sports director Pablo Longoria have?

Sport

OM: Pablo Longoria, the new sports director, as an observer in Munich before even taking his post

• Jacques-Henri Eyraud
• Frank McCourt
• OM Mercato
• League 1
• Marseilles
• OM
• Soccer
• Sport