OM’s stunning victory on the OL pitch (3-2), Sunday evening in Ligue 1, was marked by the outburst of Marseille sports advisor Medhi Benatia against the refereeing, after the expulsion of Leonardo Balerdi at the very beginning of the match. The OM management, annoyed by the refereeing treatment since the beginning of the season, supports the former defender in his approach. Contacted by RMC Sport, president Pablo Longoria does not want to let this “lack of respect towards OM” go unnoticed.
“The team was able to transform this feeling of injustice into real mental strength to remain united.” Behind the scenes, an OM manager is enjoying the success in Lyon on Sunday evening in Ligue 1 (3-2), but the anger regarding certain refereeing decisions is far from being evacuated. Sports advisor Medhi Benatia did not hesitate to put the pressure on and shout in the tunnel at half-time to convey his incomprehension to the referees. He then persisted on the broadcaster’s microphone, clearly pointing the finger at Benoit Bastien and generally the way in which OM has been refereed since the start of the season.
Contacted by RMC Sport, president Pablo Longoria made it clear that he was still very annoyed by the refereeing and that it was now out of the question to let this “lack of respect towards OM” go unchallenged.
>>> News and reactions after OL-OM
Management has not forgotten the Cornelius case
This anger goes beyond Sunday’s refereeing. For example, the Marseille management took it very badly that Benoit Millot, the OM-Nice referee who showed a second yellow card for wasting time when Cornelius had only taken 9 seconds to take a free kick (an opponent was not at the regulatory distance), had not taken the trouble to appear before the disciplinary committee or to write the slightest additional report to acknowledge an error of judgment, while he had confessed to the management a certain lack of discernment on this action.
OM feel they have been too kind to the refereeing in the past
Regarding Medhi Benatia’s media release, Longoria specifies that he spoke on behalf of the club and that his speech fully reflects the thinking of the OM management. The OM boss even confided, in private, and late in the evening, that he had found his sports advisor rather calm.
Overall, OM wants to change gear regarding refereeing. Pablo Longoria and the Marseille management feel like they have had to swallow a lot of bitter pills in recent seasons and have always remained measured, without any desire to argue or speak out to complain. In short, if OM has been kind to the refereeing, the club has the feeling of not having been respected in return, with some surprising decisions. Marseille does not want to let this happen any longer and is now determined to raise its voice when necessary. Even if it means accepting a sanction or summoning Benatia before the disciplinary committee. Longoria also confides that he is also very upset by the criticism or slanderous comments towards his sports advisor, after his speech. OM remained united on the pitch on Sunday evening. And also united behind the scenes.
