Despite the extremely serious crisis experienced by Olympique de Marseille, the Phocaean president, clearly suggests that he does not plan to leave the ship in an interview for Provence. "I did not propose my resignation to Frank McCourt," Pablo Longoria told the Marseille daily. Despite all that is said about me, I am not someone who looks at his personal interests. If I am involved in all this, it is because I am the president of OM. I represent an institution. I have a mandate given by the owner and the supervisory board. I have to take responsibility. »
The boss of OM, faced with the departure of coach Marcelino, has developed his argument. "Now the most important thing is the institution. You have to analyse things, with all the people who love this club. "I'm not pretending to be the savior of the club or anything else," he insists. I think I am someone who wants to give his maximum or has given his maximum to try to get as high as possible with this club. With good things and with bad things, but always with the objective of doing the best possible for the interest of the club, to protect the interests of the owner who is an extraordinary person, of great value. How could I leave him like that (Editor's note: Frank McCourt)? No. »
In the same interview, the leader also returned to the meeting he had with leaders of supporters' associations on Monday night, the day after the poor performance against Toulouse (0-0). "My goal was to send a message so that we could go together in the same direction, to be positive," he says. I had prepared myself for criticism but remained optimistic about the future. I was able to speak for two minutes, then I was cut off and it got out of hand very quickly... We were told, "The four of us resign, or it's war." The limits have been exceeded. In 2023, a manager of any club cannot suffer these threats. I do not accept them. I was not afraid, but I was shocked, I consider that this is not normal. I did not have the right to speak. I was not the president of the club in that meeting. How to dialogue when someone wants to prove his superiority to you? »
