Pablo Longoria reveals behind the scenes of the arrivals of Roberto De Zerbi and Adrien Rabiot at OM. Between passion, transparency and strategy, discover how the Marseille president orchestrated this ambitious transfer window.
The president of OM, Pablo Longoria, recently told
Corriere della Sera the details behind two of the notable moves of the last summer transfer window: the signing of Roberto De Zerbi as coach and that of Adrien Rabiot, who arrived free after his departure from Juventus. Longoria highlighted the passion and transparency used to convince these two major figures.
Concerning De Zerbi, Longoria says: “A friend told me that De Zerbi was leaving Brighton. I didn't hesitate and immediately contacted his agent, Edo Crnjar. I presented the project to him with passion and transparency, and Roberto followed his heart. The enthusiasm of Marseille supporters also weighed in his decision. » This recruitment is part of an ambitious three-year project for OM.
Véronique Rabiot listening
For Rabiot's transfer, Longoria recognized the crucial role played by Mehdi Benatia, the club's sports advisor, with the player's mother and agent, Véronique Rabiot: “Benatia’s work was fantastic. He was able to establish a constructive dialogue with Véronique, who only thinks about the well-being of her son. She quickly understood our project. »
Despite a reduced salary and the absence of European competition, Rabiot was seduced by the clarity and honesty of the Olympian project. An internal source thus underlined: “Madame Rabiot was great. She understood that we were not a club to make excessive promises. Things were clear from the start. »
