The president of OM, the American businessman Franck McCourt, arrived in Marseille by jet on Monday to meet the representatives of the various groups of supporters.
Meetings which should make it possible to put an end to several weeks of tension between the club and the latter.
"He reassured us by telling us that the club was not for sale and that we had to give him time."
The vice-president of the OM supporters group of the Winners, Rachid Zeroual, seems satisfied with his meeting with Franck McCourt, the American owner of the club.
Arrived this morning by jet for a demining operation after the violence around the Commanderie, the OM training center, last January, and the sidelining of President Jacques-Henri Eyraud, the man business has been instructed by Mayor Benoît Payan to pacify relations between the club and its supporters.
Meetings with representatives of each group of supporters
Franck McCourt therefore followed a series of meetings with representatives of each support group at the Vélodrome.
An "interesting and friendly" exchange, according to Rachid Zeroual.
In addition to the recent change in the thinking heads of the club, the discussion also revolved around the violence at the Commanderie.
At the end of January, several hundred angry Olympique de Marseille supporters carried out a coup at the club's training center.
They were particularly upset against Jacques-Henri Eyraud since the latter had mentioned the "danger" of having too many Marseillais or supporters of OM within the club, during a conference on management.
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"We talked about what happened at the Commanderie", confirms Rachid Zeroual at the microphone of Europe 1. "We organized this event which escaped us, and we offered to reimburse the damage so that there have an intelligent discussion. "
As for the thorny issue of formal notices from certain groups of supporters, the vice-president of the Winners says "it's over".
A dialogue rediscovered ...
Everything suggests that the dialogue seems to be renewed between the supporters and Franck McCourt.
The owner of the club was even accompanied during these various meetings by the successor of Jacques-Henri Eyraud, Pablo Longoria, newly appointed director of OM.
The arrival in Marseille of Franck McCourt is accompanied by that expected Tuesday of the Argentinian Jorge Sampaoli, new coach of the club.
The former Sevilla coach and Argentina and Chile coach is due to arrive late Tuesday morning in Marseille, on the eve of a trip for the Olympians to the championship leader Lille.
"Sampaoli is a coach with a profile adapted to the supporters, with this Argentinian grinta and this desire for an offensive game," said Sébastien Jibrayel, Marseille's sports assistant.
... before a shock against Lille
The 60-year-old Argentinian technician, who arrives from Brazil where he terminated his contract with Atlético Mineiro, should be subjected to medical isolation on his arrival, according to his entourage.
Without being absolutely confirmed as it stands, the principle of a "septaine" is also considered "probable" within the club.
Sampaoli's debut on the Marseille bench could therefore be postponed.
This week, OM must face Lille on Wednesday (9 p.m.) in L1, then Canet-en-Roussillon (N2) on Sunday in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, undoubtedly remaining under the leadership of interim Nasser Larguet, director of his training center.
Then, Marseille will host Rennes on March 10 in a late L1 match.
Sampaoli is committed until June 2023 with OM, who were looking for a long-term coach since the dismissal in early February of the Portuguese André Villas-Boas.