OM supporters did not expect it at all. The Marseille club formalized the departure of its coach Jorge Sampaoli on Friday July 1. A statement was released on the official website and refers to a “joint decision”. “We are satisfied with the progress made and the emotions experienced together, but following a long reflection, the two parties, who act in the interest of the Olympique de Marseille project, have agreed to put an end to this step, “wrote OM again.
OM President Pablo Longoria will give a press conference at 5 p.m. With Sampaoli, OM finished second in Ligue 1 last season and therefore qualified directly for the Champions League. But as early as May, the Argentinian had sent a very clear message to his leaders as to his demands on the transfer window.
“Do we want the Champions League for the money or to be competitive in it? This is the most important thing for the president, the owner and the coach to know: to know why we are giving ourselves this objective,” he said. “You have to know if there is the possibility of create a Champions League team. Because playing the Champions League means playing against great teams. Coming to play a few matches and not really being part of the competition seems illogical to me,” added Sampaoli, who is known to be very demanding in terms of recruitment.
