The Marseillais returned to La Commanderie on Monday morning, and some supporters with them, pre-vacationers stationed in front of the OM training center. Valentin Rongier and his teammates stayed on site for only a few hours, the time to carry out the medical and physical tests, as is customary, under the direction of the medical director Abdou Sbihi and the professional staff doctor, Jean- Baptist Grisoli.
The new coach, Marcelino (57), was not there yet, however, although some members of his staff – including injury prevention specialist Alberto Torres – were present. The Spanish technician landed at Marignane airport at the end of the afternoon with his other assistants before heading to La Commanderie. His future players had already left but he found the club’s leaders there, the president, Pablo Longoria, and his right arm, Javier Ribalta. A working dinner was planned in the process to discuss a number of topics, such as the holding of the course planned in the province of Munster in Germany, which could be shortened by a few days.
Other issues were to be discussed and in particular the fate of players returning from loan such as Jordan Amavi, Pol Lirola or Konrad de La Fuente. Pushed towards the exit, the two defenders and the attacker were not on the recovery and they could train in a separate group, on their return, while waiting to find a new base.
A private French teacher
Their fate, like the transfer window which remains to be carried out, will be discussed in the coming days. In the meantime, Marcelino had planned to sleep at La Commanderie on Monday evening, before discovering part of his group on Tuesday – the internationals are expected next Monday – and to deliver his first words during his presentation press conference scheduled for the start of ‘afternoon.
He will probably pronounce them in Spanish even if the management has already found him a private French teacher. He will be assisted in the field, at least initially, by Pancho Abardonado, who had already acted as a translator for Jorge Sampaoli.
