Marseille president Pablo Longoria mentioned Monday he regretted his outburst through which he claimed his membership had been the victims of “corruption” following a 3-0 Ligue 1 loss to Auxerre.
Spaniard Longoria launched right into a tirade after the match on the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps on Saturday, shouting “that is actual corruption” in response to what he and different Marseille officers felt was unfair therapy by the referee in the direction of their staff.
“It wasn’t applicable and that phrase, sure, I remorse it,” a contrite Longoria advised AFP in an interview.
“Everybody defined to me what it (corruption) meant in French, as a result of in Spanish it has a broader that means. Thoughts you, that does not justify something. However I’ve by no means in my life considered something like cash exchanges or monetary transactions, by no means.
“I might prefer to say that there isn’t any corruption in French soccer. However that there are issues that are not clear and that should be improved, for everybody, sure.”
Marseille, who lie second in Ligue 1, had been already trailing 1-0 in Burgundy once they had a penalty declare dismissed by referee Jeremy Stinat simply earlier than half-time.
The guests then had Canadian defender Derek Cornelius despatched off for a second yellow card shortly after the hour mark, earlier than conceding two additional objectives late on to hunch to a disappointing defeat.
It was not simply Longoria, with Fabrizio Ravanelli, the Italian former Marseille striker now working in an advisory position for the membership, labelling the choices “scandalous”.
French Soccer Federation chief Philippe Diallo hit again on the feedback made by Longoria and Ravanelli, saying “to query the integrity of our officers is defamatory, unacceptable and reprehensible.”
Broadcaster DAZN reported on Sunday that Stinat had been the sufferer of “an intrusion into his residence” and that his vehicles had been vandalised.
Marseille had been already sad at Stinat’s appointment because the referee had been the fourth official of their French Cup defeat by Lille final month, after which their sporting director Medhi Benatia was handed a three-month suspension for incidents on the touchline.
Longoria, 38, now faces possible punishment as nicely.
“I’ve to take accountability for what I’ve executed,” he mentioned.
“I am at all times very self-critical and I am unable to settle for that sort of picture. A president cannot behave like that. Nothing justifies it and I am not pleased with myself,” added Longoria.
“Even when nothing justifies it, you must perceive how this anger arises. My first accountability is to defend my membership. There have been many refereeing choices this season through which I really feel OM have been put at a drawback.”
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