Pablo Longoria makes huge promises to Marseille supporters

From the rumor to the officialization, the entire summer file of Roberto De Zerbi had the effect of a bomb in Marseille and throughout Europe. Despite the absence of the European Cup this season, Olympique de Marseille achieved the feat of attracting the young Italian coach to its ranks, thus giving priority to all the biggest European teams who contacted the former Sassuolo coach. This arrival was subsequently accompanied by a historic transfer window marked by the signings of Mason Greenwood, Jonathan Rowe, Valentin Carboni, Geronimo Rulli, Elye Wahi, Neal Maupay, Pierre-Émile Højbjerg, Lilian Brassier, Derek Cornelius, Adrien Rabiot and Ismaël Koné. A few months later, if everything is not yet perfect, one thing is certain: Olympique de Marseille, currently 3rd in Ligue 1, three points behind PSG who are second, is regaining very good colors. Better yet, a real effervescence and intense excitement took over the spans of the Vélodrome.

The rest after this ad

Questioned by our colleagues from The Teamthe president of OM, Pablo Longoria, returned to the importance of the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi: “ I don’t have a crystal ball. Roberto De Zerbi knew the atmosphere of OM, the DNA of this club at the time of our first discussions. In his past, he has already experienced these passionate atmospheres. Psychologically, it’s important to me. The second point: he is a young coach, who has already led medium-term projects, like at Sassuolo, he has the ability to build a team, an identity. This type of modern trainer, in innovation, allows you to see further. He is a coach who has so much potential, who has such a level, that we had to find an ad hoc project with total alignment between everyone, from the owner to all the managers. What Roberto asked us, precisely, was this alignment. He didn’t demand that everything be done for him, no. He even wanted to explain his project, his vision, to Frank », First detailed the Spanish leader, rather discreet since the start of the season. Signing De Zerbi is good. Keeping it is better. Indeed, the Italian coach is the 9th OM coach since May 2019 after André Villas-Boas, Nasser Larguet, Jorge Sampaoli, Igor Tudor, Marcelino, Jacques Abardonado, Gennaro Gattuso and Jean-Louis Gasset.

To read
OM: strong words from Pablo Longoria on French arbitration

A competitive project over 3 years

By attracting a world-class coach who was, for a time, linked to rumors with AC Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool, FC Barcelona, ​​Chelsea and even Bayern Munich, Olympique de Marseille can totally dream very big, especially with the arrivals of top world-class players such as Mason Greenwood, Adrien Rabiot or Pierre-Émile Højbjerg. But OM remains OM, the passion and the pressure are still enormous. Even with an XXL transfer window on paper, results will be needed to really satisfy the people of Marseille: “ Sports results are the most important. At OM, you have to be in the Champions League every season. You have to get it into your head. In three years, we want to establish ourselves in the twenty-four best European clubs with the new format of the Champions League. This will give an economy around all that, the resources to maintain ourselves at this level », specified Pablo Longoria who also underlined in his interview the importance, the involvement and the motivation of the owner Franck McCourt this summer. In any case, the exceptional victory of De Zerbi’s troops against OL’s rival at Groupama Stadium (2-3) has already made an impression. And many recruits are already among the darlings of the Vélodrome.

The rest after this ad

While Medhi Benatia takes more and more space in sporting decisions, OM has also strengthened its management with the arrival of Giovanni Rossi who knows Roberto De Zerbi perfectly from his time at Sassuolo. Also note the return of Fabrizio Ravanelli or the departure of Stéphane Tessier. The objective of these maneuvers was to move forward together to successfully complete this 3-season project: “ There is a much stronger will from all the players, starting with the owner… Everyone is aligned. You want to build, you want it to last as long as possible, you insist on the same message, you hit like a hammer every day. And since I have been president, he is the only coach who has been offered a three-season contract. If you take younger players to a club like OM, you take a sporting risk. But if you provide continuity, it can have sporting and financial benefits. Your level, you try to increase it: if a player is at 4/10, you believe that he can finish the season at 6/10, and that he can go to 7/10 the following season “, he also explained. Marseille supporters can be reassured, OM is in good hands, heading to the Champions League!