After finishing the 2021–2022 financial year in second place in Ligue 1, Jorge Sampaoli decided to leave Olympique de Marseille due to controversies regarding the transfer window.
In recent years, OM coaches have not fared well in the city of Marseille. Like Igor Tudor or Jorge Sampaoli, the coach leaves Provence after just one season at the helm of the club. The Argentinian still managed to push Ciel et Blanc to second place in the championship.
During the interview given to team, the former Albiceleste coach reflected on his time at Marseille. “In March 2021, I arrived at the club in an atmosphere of crisis, with a commander burnt out, a coach gone, eleventh place in the championship. We took the first step, we qualified OM for the Europa League, then we finished as vice-champion behind Paris.“, he assured the first.
Sampoli was not on the same wavelength as Ribalta
After this encouraging season, Sampaoli wanted to aim higher by recruiting players capable of taking OM to a new level, but the managers in place, and especially Javier Ribalta, were not targeting the same kind of profiles as the newcomers. “For me, the next project should be more ambitious, El Pelado then explained. I wanted to win the Marseille championship. Griezmann, Sanches? No, no, these names are… obviously these names are catchy, but no. I was just saying that, given the level of demand from the OM public, we have to live up to it. I didn’t want to return to the bench to become PSG’s vice champion again, that’s not my level of motivation. OM changed sports directors, and then I understood that it would be very difficult, that it was no longer the same project. I know myself, I am obsessive and I would have been more depressed than happy.“
Jorge Sampaoli:
“I left OM because after qualifying the club for the Europa League, then finishing runner-up behind Paris, the next project was to be more ambitious. I wanted to win the Marseille championship.”
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And the former Olympian coach concluded: “It’s not just about the money. When we teamed up with Longoria, there were a lot of struggles, but the result was a competitive group. We had to continue this creativity, but by taking it one step further. That’s what I was hoping for. But I knew it would cost, and when I saw the new sporting director who preferred another type of player… I didn’t want any conflict and I said: ‘Thank you for everything, but I prefer to leave. I am.’“
A few weeks ago, Jorge Sampaoli was announced from the OL side, but Les Gons eventually decided to keep Pierre Sage in place.
