Official | Marcelino named new Marseille manager

Olympique de Marseille have confirmed the arrival of Marcelino as the club’s new manager. The appointment concludes a long and protracted search for Igor Tudor’s replacement. 

After reported talks with Christophe Galtier, Paulo Fonseca and Marcelo Gallardo, Marseille came to an agreement with the Spanish coach. However, as revealed by Get French Football News at the beginning of June, the former Athletic Bilbao manager was always in the frame to take the role.

As described in the statement published on the club’s website, the manager has been through several big clubs, including the likes of Valencia, Villareal and Athletic Club.

After playing for nearly fifteen years, notably with Sporting Gijon, he retired with Elche and became a manager in 1997. Known for his tactical astuteness, he has picked up a few trophies on the way, including the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 2019 as well as the Spanish Supercup with Bilbao.

Sporting director at Marseille, Javier Ribalta says in the statement that choosing Marcelino to replace Igor Tudor helps create “continuity in the project”. He adds that his personality and expertise match the demands of the highest level of football. Ribalta now has a lot of work to shape up the team in order to improve their third position in the league, a season which saw them compete for the title until very late in the year.

GFFN | Tom Abadie