Having passed over the option of the Spanish team, which did not crystallize after the World Cup in Qatar, Marcelino García Toral returns to the bench after a blank season, the second since he began training at the highest level. The Asturian coach has committed himself for the next two years to Olympique de Marseille, which has just qualified third in the French league and will have to overcome two qualifiers to play the next Champions League.
Marcelino arrives at the most volcanic club in France, perhaps in the Mediterranean, an entity in need of glory because being the only French European champion (1993) he has barely won a League in the last 30 years (in the 2009-10 campaign). In that time he barely added a Super Cup and a League Cup to more. He has managed to show himself in Europe, but he lost in two UEFA Cup finals and in one of the competition that follows him, the Europa League. “I know the responsibility that I assume”, explains Marcelino in statements released by his new club, “where he will once again meet Pablo Fernández Longoria, the young countryman whom he introduced to professional football as scout and who now serves as president of Olympique.
Longoria began working with Marcelino in 2006. He was barely 20 years old and went to live at the home of his mentor, who was then managing Recreativo de Huelva, recently promoted to the Spanish first division. They also collaborated with Racing Santander and some time later Marcelino called him again to join his project at Valencia. Now the call came in the opposite direction. After leaving Valencia and while Marcelino awaited his destination, Longoria arrived in Marseille in the summer of 2020 to work as sports director. Eight months later Frank McCourt, the club’s North American owner, entrusted him with the club’s presidency. He was barely 34 years old. Jorge Sampaoli was his first coach. He was succeeded by Igor Tudor while Marcelino awaited his options to work with the Spanish team.
Finally the reunion became possible. Longoria defined his preferences a few weeks ago. “I want more pepper in the team’s game, to attack more, with quick transitions,” he explained. The Asturian leader understands that the club has stabilized financially and must now build a solid sports project. “In Marseille, a coach at 100% is not worth it, he must be at 300% energy. In this team there are no friendly matches. The level of commitment is not negotiable. We need more personality, more courage. We need someone with leadership,” he noted. But the new coach has duties and not only football. “Speaking French is a plus to train at OM. I will only accept that the coach spends a season without speaking about it. In Italy in three months I already expressed myself in Italian. It’s a matter of respect,” says Longoria.
For Marcelino, at the age of 57, comes his first experience away from Spanish football, where he has worked at Sporting, Recreativo, Racing, Zaragoza, Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and Athletic. He arrives in Marseille after conversations with the Argentine Marcelo Gallardo and the Portuguese Paulo Fonseca were reported. They did not come to fruition and Longoria decided to activate the closest option, surely also the one that can wear him out the most if things go wrong.
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