2023-06-01 19:36:13
Waterspouts as a farewell. The deluge falls on the Marseille city and the Robert-Louis-Dreyfus center this Thursday, June 1 at the start of the afternoon. In front of the press building, Pablo Longoria waits before entering the arena, quickly joined by his faithful, Javier Ribalta. The two men surround Igor Tudor on the platform of the auditorium, in front of a full house, which also includes the sports director, David Friio. There is no question of taking stock of the exercise but of formalizing the news that fell in the morning: the departure of Tudor at the end of the season.
“We agreed to respect Igor Tudor’s choice not to continue the adventure with us after June 30. On behalf of all the leaders, I thank Igor for the good work he has done with great respect. We shared values of rigour, performance, hard work, high standards (…) This gives us the direction for the future: work culture, requirement, ambition, construction of a workforce with good values, ”begins the Spanish leader in French. The tone is sober, sometimes even playful, and courteous, far from the stifling climate of the departure of André Villas-Boas, in February 2021.
Almost a year after his arrival in Marseille, the native of Split, 44, therefore left OM, a tradition for him who never stayed more than a year in a club as a technician. Some say he is blunted after a hectic exercise, but the person concerned mentions “private and professional reasons”, without venting. “I was honored to have a very good year here with the energy of the city, of the supporters. It’s a great experience, I grew up. I am certain to leave the club in a better situation than I found it. I have no agreement with another club. I’m not angry with anyone, ”he adds, as rumors send him every day to Juventus, his heart club.
Mental wear? Lack of family – his relatives having remained in Croatia –, fatigue linked to the local environment… The reasons for his departure are diverse but form a whole.
“I have rarely known a coach with so much involvement”
For a year, the former coach of Hellas Verona showed himself invested in his mission, bringing to the Olympian institution a culture of work, high standards and rigor on a daily basis, and obtaining results that were both interesting (3rd place in L1) and frustrating (4th in group D in C1), even disappointing (elimination against Annecy in the quarterfinals of the Coupe de France).
“I have rarely known a coach with so much involvement, slips Valentin Rongier, who will know his 5th coach at OM next season since his arrival in 2019. He has been straight from the start. He brought even more rigor to this club, he was very involved with everyone. He told us this morning (Thursday morning)we were obviously a little surprised, but these are the vagaries of football (…) He brought rigor and seriousness, another mentality that we are not used to having and knowing in France: it was his watchword from the start. »
After André Villas-Boas (2019-2021), interim Nasser Larguet (February 2021), Jorge Sampaoli (April 2021 – July 2022), OM therefore sees a new coach packing up before the end of his contract, which may raise questions about the stability of the project. “There are requirements here and we have to adapt. This type of change is also the consequence of the size of the club, of the current trend in modern football (…) I don’t believe in instability, it’s making honest decisions with transparency, ”answers Pablo Longoria.
What’s next? Monday afternoon, the president of OM will hold a press briefing to take stock of the current season and discuss the future, but there is no doubt that the Croatian’s principles have pleased the sky and white board, which should appoint a coach in the same line. Marcelino, free since leaving Athletic Bilbao in June 2022, and close to Longoria, is one track being studied among others like Marcelo Gallardo. This Saturday evening (9 p.m.), Tudor will therefore play his last match in Ajaccio under the Marseille colors, before heading to Italy, for a new project, or Croatia, for a few months of rest.
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