The reserve on the verge of implosion?
If from a sporting point of view, the first team of Olympique de Marseille is on a more than positive dynamic with a second place in the standings and a European competition to play, the reserve team is sinking according to FootMercato.
This was Frank McCourt’s major project and more particularly that of Jacques-Henri Eyraud and Andoni Zubizarreta when they took office. The now ex-president of Olympique de Marseille was flabbergasted to see the gap between the training of young people in the big Ligue 1 clubs and that of OM. Far from the breeding grounds represented by Olympique Lyonnais, Monaco or Saint-Étienne, the Marseille training center had to undergo a major restructuring. Worried that the flight of young talent from the region would continue, Eyraud had signed several partnerships with local clubs and had set up new ones like the one with the Diambars academy where Bamba Dieng is from.
With the hatching of Maxime Lopez and Bouba Kamara, several young people have signed professionals in recent months such as Aaron Kamardin, Ugo Bertelli or Cheick Souaré. As for the trainers, things had not changed badly with the arrival of Nasser Larguet, head of the training center and a new trainer, Maxence Flachez. At the time of the assessment, it is clear that the mayonnaise does not take. According to information from FootMercato, the reserve is even on the verge of implosion after a nightmarish 2021/2022 season. The team is simply last in National 2 with 18 points taken in 23 games and should go down to National 3. A real nightmare which would have several reasons.
Also read: OM – MHSC (2-0): Nice operation for a solid Marseille!
Disastrous management at all levels?
According to the website, many episodes have come to taint the reserved team’s season this season and several officials are blamed. First of all, coach Maxence Flachez is the first concerned. Arrived in the summer of 2021, his choices are far from unanimous and some people at the club question his skills as explained by FootMercato ” In addition to the choices mentioned, Maxence Flachez struggled, in front of his players, this year, to explain some of his choices. The replacement for Ugo Bertelli or Jonathan Pitou, for example, formed in the heart of the game and who have mainly played on the wings since the start of the season. Also, players like Targhalline, Nadir, Ben Seghir and Tongya have the choice of making themselves available for reserve“. In addition, the former OL player would no longer have his locker room and many tensions would have arisen with some of his players like Ben Seghir.
Nasser Larguet is also at the center of criticism. Since the end of his interim at the head of the first team, he would be criticized for a lack of leadership and a disengagement with the reserve as FootMercato explains. Of our interlocutors, the name that comes back to our ears the most is that of the director of the training center, Nasser Larguet. Pointing to his lack of leadership, some think he would have seen himself stay in charge of the first team when he did his interim between Villas-Boas and Sampaoli last year.“.
Finally players like Kamardin, regularly injured or Ugo Bertelli are slow to confirm the hopes placed in them despite the signing of their professional contracts and seem to be losing confidence. Blame it on poor management of the workforce and the replacements made by coach Flachez” Maxence Flachez never intended to enroll in a project here, due to his proximity to Nasser Larguet, he was able to have a good job, with a nice salary, but above all a registration for his coaching diploma professional that he has already missed twice. There is no doubt that Pablo Longoria is attentive to this situation and will do everything to restore order quickly or risk seeing the situation plague the entire club.