In Marseille, “Plus Belle la vie” has just given way to a new series: “Ten days under tension at OM”. From the meeting between members of the supporters groups, to the withdrawal of the leaders and the resignation of Marcelino his coach, including the draw in Amsterdam (3-3, Thursday September 21) and the slap against PSG (0-4 , Sunday 24), the Olympian club is going through a stormy episode that was barely imaginable a few weeks ago.
Comfortable in his role as president of the institution, Pablo Longoria embarked on an urgent search for a new coach, while Jacques Abardonado took over as interim coach for the last two meetings. Proof of the desire to move quickly, OM leaders wanted to see the future new coach on the bench for the Monaco reception, this Saturday at 9 p.m. With one condition that made the challenge more complicated: that the lucky one arrives free.
On his conditions, there were not many suitors and one name logically arrived at the top of the list. That of Christophe Galtier (57 years old). Free since the end of his adventure with PSG on July 4, the native of Marseille took time to rest after a turbulent end to the season and marked in particular by the accusations of Julien Fournier, the former football director of Nice, which led to his being judged on December 15 for acts of “moral harassment” and “discrimination.
A question of timing
Marseille’s priority, Galtier was therefore contacted even before the Clasico and he is the only candidate to have met management to date. Proof that the discussions were very concrete. After taking a step back, the French technician is ready to find a new challenge and the interest of OM, the club of his childhood, of his heart and where he played from 1985 to 1987 then from 1995 to 1997, got you thinking. But on Tuesday during the day, the ex-Saint-Étienne coach finally contacted the Olympian decision-makers to tell them that he would not come. And this decision was not easy to make.
Why did he refuse a challenge in his favorite club? We must already rule out the idea that his trial is coming and that he will only take over a club afterwards. Galtier is ready to dive back in and he could well find a challenge before December 15 since he has serious interests in Europe and the Middle East. The reason is to be found in the context: little time to work when the schedule promises to be crazy between now and December: Monaco, Brighton, Nice, AEK Athens (twice), Lyon, Lille, Lens and Amsterdam . All interrupted by two matches against Le Havre and Strasbourg.
Apart from timing and with a little more margin, it’s a safe bet that he would have taken up the challenge. And despite a few hostile hashtags on social networks, several influential figures among the supporter groups did not oppose his arrival. Following his refusal, on Tuesday, Marseille immediately started the trail leading to Gennaro Gattuso (45 years old). Having broken his ban since his dismissal from Valencia, the Italian arrives this Wednesday afternoon in Marseille.
