Football: Olympique de Marseille formalizes the departure of its coach Marcelino

Marcelino, the Spanish coach of Olympique de Marseille arrived at the beginning of the summer, "will not continue his mission" at OM, the club announced Wednesday afternoon, invoking in a statement Monday's stormy meeting with Olympian fans.

Spanish coach Marcelino leaves Olympique de Marseille after five days of league play. AP - Daniel Cole

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Monday's events," during which supporters' associations had demanded the resignations of President Pablo Longoria and three of his relatives on the board, "do not allow Marcelino and his technical staff to exercise in good conditions the function for which they were hired," the statement said, speaking of a "deplorable situation".

The departure of the Spanish coach, 58, is formalized on the eve of OM's entry into the Europa League, Thursday (19:6) on the lawn of Ajax Amsterdam, and four days before the shock of the 1th day of Ligue 19 against Paris Saint-Germain Sunday (<>:<>) at the Parc des Princes.

Seven official matches at the head of OM

« In view of the context, insists OM in its press release, the whole club is extremely disappointed to have to face the departure of a coach and a technical staff, arrived in Marseille only on June 23 and fully committed to the club, for extra-sporting reasons. »

Recruited by Longoria, his compatriot, to succeed the Croatian Igor Tudor, the former coach of the Basque club of Bilbao had arrived at the helm of the Marseille team just ten days before the resumption of training, while a very important 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League was already looming, fatal OM, eliminated in early August by Panathinaikos Athens.

Experienced and respected technician in the Spanish league, Marcelino, who has managed only seven official matches at the head of OM (3 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss), had not flown Wednesday at midday with his players, leaving for the Netherlands to face Ajax Amsterdam.

Jacques "Pancho" Abardonado in interim

Marcelino Garcia Toral arrived free in Marseille, a year after leaving Athletic Bilbao, where he spent 18 mixed months. Having played for many La Liga clubs such as Sevilla, Villarreal and Valencia, Marcelino won the Spanish Cup in 2019 with Valencia CF.

After the Frenchman Rudi Garcia, the Portuguese André Villas-Boas, the Argentine Jorge Sampaoli and Igor Tudor, they are now five to have succeeded each other as coach of OM since the purchase of the club by the American Frank McCourt, in October 2016, not to mention a brief interim of Nasser Larguet.

According to a source close to the case, it is Jacques "Pancho" Abardonado, former OM player and member of the Olympian staff, who should be on the bench Thursday night at Ajax. For this fixed-term contract at the head of the Olympian team, this former player of duty who knew how to "wet the jersey", as the fans like it, should be associated with the current sporting director of the club, David Friio.

(

With AFP

)

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