Ligue 1: Spaniard Marcelino appointed coach of Olympique de Marseille


Olympique de Marseille formalized on Friday the signing of Spanish coach Marcelino, who succeeds Croatian Igor Tudor on the bench for an unspecified period. An experienced and respected technician in the Spanish league, the former coach of Bilbao is ten days away from resuming training, set for July 3. OM must play from August 8 or 9 a very important 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League.

“The arrival of Marcelino is part of the desire to give continuity to the club’s project,” commented Javier Ribalta, OM’s general director of football. “His experience will also be a considerable asset to strengthen the work undertaken last season,” he added in a press release, which did not specify the duration of the commitment. The agreement between OM and Marcelino, revealed by RMC, was confirmed to AFP on Wednesday by a source close to the negotiations.

“An attacking game, a little rock and roll”

“With all of my staff, we are convinced by the project. I know the responsibility that this mission represents and our commitment will be total”, declared for his part the new OM coach in the press release issued by the club. . Marcelino Garcia Toral had been free since June 2022 and his departure from Athletic Bilbao where he had spent 18 mixed months.

With his arrival on the bench, OM now find themselves with a Spanish trio at their head, since Marcelino joins the club president Pablo Longoria and his right arm Javier Ribalta, two compatriots. Marcelino succeeds the Croatian Igor Tudor who will not have spent more than one season in a club sometimes nicknamed the “manager-coach”. Pablo Longoria had underlined on June 5 that he wanted a coach capable of installing “an offensive game, a little rock and roll”.

Passed by many La Liga clubs such as Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and Bilbao, Marcelino won the Spanish Cup in 2019 with Valencia CF. For the first time, he will train a team outside his native country.





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