Between Christophe Galtier and Marseille, it's a long story.
A native of Marseille, “Galette”, the nickname of the Lille coach, started out as a professional player in the Marseille jersey in 1985 before leaving two years later for… Lille.
Returning to OM for two seasons as he approached his thirties, he bounced back there a little later as a technician, being the assistant to several Olympian coaches, including Bernard Casoni and Albert Emon.
“For me, OM, it represents family matches in the stands.
My dad was a policeman at the time, he was doing security but there was no need so he would take his kids, put them in a corner and we would watch the game.
He was cheating a bit because we did not pay for the seats, ”he recalled, with a smile on his face, Tuesday at a press conference.
Soon extended to Lille?
“I then joined the training center, and it's a whole part of my adolescence and my apprenticeship.
Then there is the first pro game, my career, coming back and then being an assistant coach.
It is obviously an important part in my family and social life ”, continued the technician.
He has since become a coach who counts in the French landscape thanks to successful passages in Saint-Etienne then in Lille, surprise leader of L1 this season.
To the point of being regularly cited as a potential candidate for the bench of OM as soon as Marseille goes through turbulence, which is rather regular.
Christophe Galtier has always denied these rumors, regularly asserting his desire to stay in the North, where his contract runs until 2022. “Things are going very well, there will be a moment when everyone will have to be pose to discuss and see what to do with a possible extension, ”he said in early February, a few weeks after the arrival of a new owner at the head of the northern club.
"I like living in Marseille, in my village in Cassis, going to the Vélodrome and even more when there are supporters, but that stops there"
Christophe galtier
His attachment to Marseille has sometimes made people cringe.
Starting with André Villas-Boas, stationed at OM until the beginning of February, who criticized last November “the coaches of other clubs who want to come here.
They coach clubs competing with OM, but they talk about it all the time!
Everyone has dreams, me too, ”he quipped.
At the origin of this release, the mention of the name Christophe Galtier by Eric Di Meco, in the commentary of the Porto-Marseille meeting on the RMC Sport channel.
The consultant, a former partner and longtime friend of the coach, said he had received a text message from the latter during the match.
Defused, the dispute between Galtier and Villas-Boas was not followed up.
And if the Portuguese has been fired by the club, the announcement of the arrival of the Argentine Jorge Sampaoli to replace him from next week has nipped the rumors of a return of the Lille coach in his hometown.
“I'm not saying that I wouldn't like it, but there is no obsession with one day becoming a Marseille coach,” Christophe Galtier repeated on Tuesday.
“I like living in Marseille, in my village in Cassis, going to the Vélodrome and even more when there are supporters, but that stops there.
I wouldn't have any frustration if, once my career was over, I didn't coach OM, ”he said.
And this Wednesday (9:00 pm), he will focus only on ambitions….
Lille.
Namely return to success at home after two damaging draws against Brest (0-0) and Strasbourg (1-1) to keep their throne of leader.
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