Sunday September 17. It was around 7 p.m. when Olympique de Marseille settled for a mediocre draw, at home against Toulouse (0-0). The whistles of the Vélodrome express an anger which shows through the next evening, the true starting point of these famous 24 hours, which sent OM into hysteria. It was 10:27 p.m. when the club published a press release relating to a meeting between supporters and members of the Olympian club.

“Following a meeting held on Monday September 18, 2023 at the Robert Louis-Dreyfus Training Center, representatives of the supporters’ associations expressed their wish to see the current OM Directory resign. The threat of a “war” (sic) against them has been issued, as long as they do not resign,” we can read on the club’s website. If the famous board accepts “criticism”, it “cannot accept personal threats”, “individual attacks and any form of unfounded public defamation”.

And added: “a relationship based on intimidation cannot guarantee the minimum acceptable conditions so that the club’s Board of Directors can continue to invest in the transformation of OM.” According to various media (L’Équipe, La Provence, RMC Sport, etc.), we must understand a withdrawal of the four Marseille leaders: president Pablo Longoria, football director Javier Ribalta, general director Pedro Iriondo and the administrative director and financier Stéphane Tessier.

Longoria, sporting director (2020-21) who became president (since 2021) of OM, would have considered resigning, shocked by the aggressiveness of supporters who scrutinized his decisions, whether they concern the transfer window, the center of training or discreet club employees. René Poutet, president of the Handi Fan Club OM, was at the meeting. “There were words like “get out of the way”, “pack your bags””, he told the daily La Marseillaise. Death threats? This is what Eurosport Spain claimed, and what many sources have denied. Still, the next day felt like a hangover.

Tuesday morning, Marcelino, a “DH coach”, according to a leader of the supporters groups cited by L’Équipe, led a lunar training session. “To several executives in the locker room, who found him looking totally defeated, Marcelino mentioned having managed his last meeting against Toulouse,” writes the sports daily.

Appointed coach on June 23, Longoria’s great friend would be just as struck by the deleterious climate surrounding OM. Perhaps he’s also worried about some limitations in the game that he doesn’t think he can overcome? Tied 3rd in Ligue 1 with Nice, Marseille remains in two sad draws in Nantes (1-1) and against Toulouse (0-0). As AFP learned, Marcelino (58) is not traveling to Amsterdam to face Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday (9 p.m.). He could resign in the coming hours, and thus renounce his contract which runs until June 2025.

The Marseille soap opera is still far from its conclusion. How could a club on the L1 podium after five days explode like this? Who would replace Marcelino if he leaves? How long will Longoria’s withdrawal last, if it does not turn into a resignation? On the field, OM are approaching the first big turn of their season: trip to Ajax, followed by the “Classic” on the pitch of Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, then another trip to the Monegasque leader (09/30) before the reception of Brighton (5/10) in the Europa League.

SEE ALSO – Moses Simon’s magnificent goal during Clermont-Nantes on September 17 (0-1)