In the Moscato Show, former Olympique de Marseille player Eric Di Meco returned to the controversy surrounding the expulsion of Medhi Benatia during the OM Lille match in the Coupe de France this week.
“What are we waiting for? That there is a big incident to finally apply the regulations? However, it is easy to enforce it. This is regrettable for Laurent Nicolin, who behaves well, because he will have to pay for those who act badly. But if you enforce the rules, then everyone will go to the stands. However, because you let it happen from the start, they took a finger, then a hand, and now they go up to the elbow,” explains Eric Di Meco before continuing:
“However, it is very clear: there is a regulation. If people behave badly, everyone should be sent back to the stands. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that a manager present in the tunnel, where he has no right to be, will not make a remark to an opposing player who is expelled and angry, who, in a moment of tension, could come to punch him,” declared the former emblematic OM defender on RMC Sport.
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-OM is not treated like other clubs for Longoria!
Guest on the show Rothen S’igname, OM president Pablo Longoria for his part denounced differential treatment towards certain leaders, in particular Benatia. “Treatment is not the same for everyone”he suggested, while refusing to characterize the situation as “dirty crime”. He made it clear that he would never seek sanctions against others, refusing to put pressure on the authorities. However, he condemned the negative “narrative” surrounding Benatia, including accusations of a “sulphurous” manager and insinuations of methods aimed at destabilizing players, as mentioned in a club statement.
The Olympian leader also spoke about his personal case, recalling that he had been sanctioned for criticizing a referee this season. “I say it for myself too. I was sanctioned this season for saying to the referee: 'you can't handle pressure, my friend'. » He stressed that several other similar situations had been observed with other leaders, without sanctions being taken. He therefore denounced discrimination, affirming that OM was the only club to have been sanctioned in such circumstances.
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