"We are not going to take a strike of the players anyway?
The followers of Olympique de Marseille are used to tumultuous days.
However, seeing that at 2:10 p.m., no professional left the locker room, some were afraid.
But Valère Germain pointed his nose, then Michaël Cuisance, and behind them all the men who will try to save their season, this Wednesday evening, against Lens (9 pm).
No strike, therefore.
The players simply took the time to digest the announcement of the departure of their coach.
Before leaving them, André Villas-Boas gave them some explanations.
"He reiterated that he did not endorse sports policy, that players were imposed on him", we testify in the entourage of an executive.
The latter was not surprised.
In training, André Villas-Boas took the time to talk to several of them: Hiroki Sakai, Jordan Amavi or, of course, captain Steve Mandanda.
The French international, very close to the technician, is part of the group which convinced the Portuguese to come back for an additional season, last spring.
This time he couldn't do anything.
Now he dreams of presiding over FC Porto
"We know football, we all knew that he would eventually leave," sighs a club employee, who is surprised, however, at the timing chosen by the Portuguese.
He decided to leave in the midst of the supporters' sling, on the eve of a crucial match in terms of accounting and five days before the clasico.
“We hoped that he would play a calming effect,” says another source.
He adds fuel to the fire vis-à-vis the supporters.
"A good connoisseur of the club understands, on the contrary, this decision:" He was aware that he had not been good for a while.
“Since mid-December, OM have won only one match.
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These poor results, like the unwanted recruitment of Olivier Ntcham, are only part of the explanation.
The divorce between AVB and the Marseille leaders began more than a year ago.
In January 2020, already, he tackled the choice of Jacques-Henri Eyraud to recruit Paul Aldridge as special advisor: “I don't think that facilitates sales to English clubs.
In May, the departure of Andoni Zubizarreta saddened him.
He never had the same relationship of trust with Pablo Longoria.
He criticizes him, in particular, for having presented Luis Henrique to him as a versatile striker.
André Villas-Boas ensures that the violent action of the supporters on Saturday at the Commanderie had no impact on his decision.
The ambitious coach, who dreams of presiding over FC Porto, tried to leave with panache: “I don't want to be fired.
Jacques-Henri Eyraud decided otherwise.