Marcelino García Toral announced this Tuesday his resignation as coach of Marseille. The information presented by L’Équipe and confirmed by AS comes a day after a tense meeting between the ultras and the sports management, which took place in the Marseille team’s sports city. Fans were upset by the team’s game last Sunday against Toulouse (0-0) and demanded that Pablo Longoria and Javier Ribalta be held accountable.
The Asturian coach had taken 9 points from a possible 15 at the start of the season, but there were doubts about his style of play and his rigidity in implementing the 4-4-2. In the Champions League preview against Panathinaikos, Marseille were eliminated on penalties, so their career in French football did not get off to the best start.
As L’Équipe reports, Olympique de Marseille legend Jean-Pierre Papin will have to sit on the bench on an interim basis in next Thursday’s Europa League game against Ajax. This Tuesday, Marcelino informed the players of his decision to step down as coach of the historic Frenchman, who will travel to Paris on Sunday to face PSG in the crucial Clásico at the start of the season.
Marcelino joined Olympique de Marseille in July. It was an express wish of Pablo Longoria, the president of the southern French club, with whom he worked at Recreativo and Valencia and achieved a respectable Copa del Rey in 2019. In Ligue 1 it wasn’t entirely bad despite an A start. As they were ahead of PSG, the fans were dissatisfied and the Ultras had lost patience after a goalless draw against Toulouse last Sunday.
Longoria, the president, is the second to resign
According to Eurosport, the president of the Marseille company will also resign after receiving death threats from ultra groups. Marcelino’s continuity was also subject to that of the supreme leader of the OM.
