It’s now official: Marcelino is no longer the coach of Olympique de Marseille (OM). The Spanish coach, who faced confrontations with some supporters during a heated meeting on Monday night, has decided to step down, leaving OM without a fixed coach just days before the Clasico.
« In continuation of the statement released last night regarding the management team, Olympique de Marseille considers that the events of September 18 do not allow Marcelino and his technical staff to perform the function for which they were hired in good conditions. As a result of this deplorable situation, Marcelino and his staff will not continue their mission at Olympique de Marseille, » OM stated in a press release.
« In light of the circumstances, the entire club is extremely disappointed to face the departure of a coach and technical staff who arrived in Marseille only on June 23 and were fully committed to the club for non-sporting reasons, » the statement concludes.
Jacques Abardonado will serve as the interim coach for OM, with Jean-Pierre Papin also involved. While not yet officially confirmed by OM, Pancho Abardonado, a former OM player, previously served as an assistant under Sampaoli and Marcelino.