La Presse in Marseille | Ismaël Koné leaves OM

(Marseille) Roberto de Zerbi has just set up his headset for the simultaneous translation that he launches a bomb, at the very start of the press conference.

Ismaël Koné, “he will probably go away” from Olympique de Marseille, announces the head coach, in his first language that is the Italian. The question focused on the fact that the Quebecer did not train in the morning, and that the club had justified his absence by speaking of a need for “individual work”.

“That’s why it didn’t make sense that he trains with us,” clarifies Zerbi on this subject.

The press is on the scene. Throughout the week, we were in communication with OM in order to obtain an interview with Koné. We were crossing the ocean to come and see him and his friend Moïse Bombito, as part of the Mediterranean derby that will be played this Sunday in Nice.

But since he hardly plays, we were refused. The Quebecer has only walked the field for 388 minutes in 9 games, including only one tenure, since his arrival in August 2024. In this context, we had prepared a question for De Zerbi about the minimum use of Koné. We said our intention to put it on by raising the hand.

Then, the coach took everyone from Court, even the OM communications team, who confirmed to us after the fact that he was blown away by the announcement, live.

So we change the plan very quickly. His departure is a choice of the club, or his?

“It is a choice of the club,” replied of Zerbi. Ismaël Koné, we wanted it. I wanted it with Medhi Benatia [directeur football de l’OM]. He’s a very strong player, a very good boy. But we know what is our goal. What a team we want this year, next year, the next year. »»

To see and hear local journalists after the Italian twenty -minute press conference, we understand that it is not in the habits of the house to communicate so clearly the intentions of the club in the context of the transfer window . Especially since De Zerbi had not stopped there.

“In the past few months, he has not shown me that he was able to be part of this project,” he added. In front of him, there is a lot of competition. Hojbjerg, Rongier, Rabiot. I play who deserves it. And if he doesn’t deserve him, it is because there is someone in front of him doing something more, or better. And we really try to assume our responsibilities. »»

Joint by The pressKoné politely refused to comment, saying that he “did not have too much head” for the moment. When publishing, his agent had not responded to our interview request.

Now, will it be a loan or transfer to the Canadian environment?

For the moment, nothing is confirmed, since De Zerbi has spoken of a “probable” departure. What must be read between the lines is that Koné is now on the market, that offers are probably on the table, and that he will leave Marseille by the closure of the transfer window in France, February 3 .

Bet on a transfer. The old coach De Brighton did not seem to have been very impressed by the player, and we would hardly see him come back next year under these conditions.

A tumultuous week

We leave the room. Then, possibly, the press building. Outside, we meet young supporters in front of the training center. They are there, every day – we will talk about it on another screen to come. They are asked if they saw Koné leave the premises. They answer us no, not yet.

But they have an “excluded” for us. They show us a video of a training, this week, captured of the bushes surrounding the main field of the commandery, in which we would see Koné having had a knit to leave with Zerbi. We can indeed see a player leaving the lawn under an enguiring of the coach, but unfortunately, the video is too short and pixelated to well identify Koné.

In the context and in time, that said, the songs are put in place.

“It stared at confidence”

The day before, in anticipation of our reports in France, we contacted Jesse Marsch, coach of the male team of Canada. It was obviously before you know everything we just told you. But already, in view of the limited playing time of Quebecers, Marsch had spoken of his need to reach the level of “discipline” and “concentration” required to play “the highest levels”.

“I know Zerbi’s style of play,” he said. If [Koné] Do not adapt to this one, it will be difficult for him. And injuries have embarrassed its adaptation in general, it must be said. »»

This is the observation of all, even the colleagues of the media in Marseille. The injury he suffered last July, before the start of the season, made him start his Marseille adventure at the trailer. And then, when he played, Koné was not up to the task, in addition to undergoing another injury in October. Also, Marseille wanted to use it “higher in the field”, according to Marsch, who prefers to have “a little deeper in the middle”.

But the personality of Koné, marked by a boundless confidence twinned with a sometimes dangerous carelessness, is thus a double -edged knife. Rocco Placentino, sports director of the Koné Amateur Club, CS Saint-Laurent, knows something about it.

“He went to a World Cup at 19, and it was as if he were playing in Marcel-Laurin park with his friends !, Landers Placentino, who we talked about before our departure for France. He really has a great character to play at this level. »»

Ismaël Koné was so good among amateurs that this was what prompted Montreal Anis Laihem to create the “Montreal Cracks” account. A “crack” in football jargon is an outstanding talent. Laihem travels the Quebec football courts and thus promotes young players to follow.

He saw Koné play for the first time when he was 18 years old, with the U21 of Saint-Laurent. “It was obvious that this guy was dominant. […] It stared at confidence. Sometimes I’m not going to lie to you, he took days off. But when he wanted, he operated the machine and the match was his, he folded it. »»

At 22, and despite nearly four professional seasons under the crampons, Koné may not yet be very far from these character traits. But at OM, with a coach also attentive to the details, and a midfielder also congestioned and efficient in front of him, it no longer goes.

In any case, according to a local colleague, the journey of Ismaël Koné in Marseille was doomed to failure from the moment he chose number 51.

The “51”, in the vicinity, is the well -known name … of a bottle of pastis.