Marseille President Revises Statements on Corruption Following Surprising Defeat

On Monday, Marseille president Pablo Longoria, aged 38, expressed regret over his recent comments in which he alleged that his club had fallen victim to “corruption”, following a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Auxerre in Ligue 1.

Following the match at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps on Saturday, Longoria expressed his frustration, declaring “this is real corruption” in response to what he and other officials at Marseille perceived as biased officiating against their side.

“It was inappropriate, and I indeed regret using that term,” a remorseful Longoria conveyed in an interview with AFP.

“Everyone arrived to explain the meaning of ‘corruption’ in French, as in Spanish it carries a wider connotation. That said, it does not excuse anything. I have never, in my life, thought about anything related to financial transactions or money exchanges, not ever.”

“I wish to assert that there is no corruption in French football. However, there are aspects that lack clarity and require improvement for everyone involved.”

At present, Marseille sits in second place in Ligue 1. They were already a goal down when they had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Jeremy Stinat just before the interval.

Things worsened for the visitors after Canadian defender Derek Cornelius received a second yellow card shortly after the hour mark. They conceded two additional goals late in the game, leading to a discouraging defeat.

Longoria’s ire was echoed by Fabrizio Ravanelli, the former Marseille striker who now serves in an advisory role for the club, who labelled the officiating as “scandalous.”

In response to the criticism, Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, retorted, “To question the integrity of our officials is defamatory, unacceptable, and reprehensible.”

Reports from broadcaster DAZN revealed that Stinat had been a victim of “an intrusion into his home” and that his vehicles had been vandalised.

Marseille had already expressed dissatisfaction regarding Stinat’s officiating, as he was the fourth official during their earlier defeat to Lille in the French Cup, after which their sporting director Medhi Benatia received a three-month suspension for incidents that took place on the sidelines.

Longoria is now facing potential repercussions for his comments as well.

He has been called to appear before the disciplinary committee of the French league on Wednesday, according to multiple sources associated with the situation.

“I must take responsibility for my actions,” Longoria stated.

“I tend to be quite self-critical, and I cannot condone that kind of behaviour. A president should not conduct himself in such a manner. Nothing justifies it, and I am not pleased with myself,” he continued.

“While no justification exists for my outburst, it’s essential to comprehend how such anger can emerge. My primary duty is to defend my club. This season, there have been numerous officiating decisions that I believe have unfairly disadvantaged OM.”