Sanction Fallen: Pablo Longoria fixed on his fate

Pablo Longoria is no exception to the sanction. After his verbal skid in Auxerre, the president of OM was pinned by the disciplinary committee of the LFP. If the Marseille club trembled in the face of the threat of withdrawal of points, this dreaded sanction was ultimately not pronounced. But Marseille still pays the price of incendiary remarks of its manager.

OM avoids the worst, Longoria sanctioned

The league finally decided, and unlike the rumors that circulated, OM will not be penalized in the standings. A withdrawal of points had been mentioned in recent days, which would have brought a blow to Marseille ambitions. However, the disciplinary committee preferred to focus on the personal case of Pablo Longoria, believing that its remarks against French arbitration constituted a serious attack on the ethics of football.

The Marseille president, who had denounced a “total corruption” after the 3-0 defeat against Auxerre, then tried to calm the game by presenting public apology. But that was not enough to avoid a summons before the Commission, which decided to sanction it.

A skid with heavy consequences

It all started after the Marseille debacle in Auxerre. Frustrated by arbitration, Pablo Longoria had lost his composure in the corridors of the stadium, openly accusing Ligue 1 of favoritism and to be gangrenous by corruption. These words, captured by Dazn's cameras, quickly went around the media and caused an immediate reaction to the French football bodies.

Faced with the magnitude of the controversy, Longoria tried to extinguish the fire by declaring to AFP:

“I regret my words. There is no corruption in French football. »» However, a reverse which did not prevent Ligue 1 referees from retaliation.

The referees file a complaint, an unprecedented case in Ligue 1

The shock wave was huge. Revolted by the accusations of the Marseille president, the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 referees decided to counter-attack. For the first time in the history of the championship, 111 professional referees, all of the elite officials, decided to file a complaint against Pablo Longoria.

A radical decision, announced by Jérôme Brisard, who testifies to the exasperation of the arbitral body. Some of them, such as François Letexier and Clément Turpin, stressed that these accusations jeopardized the integrity of the referees and fed a climate of dangerous distrust in French football.

What follow -up for Longoria and OM?

If OM avoids a sporting sanction, the Marseille president could now face legal proceedings. The complaint of the referees is likely to have repercussions far beyond the land, and Longoria will now have to answer for its acts in justice.

One thing is certain: this case leaves traces. Between a disciplinary sanction, a reputation tainted and tensions exacerbated between OM and the authorities, the Marseille president undoubtedly lives one of the most complicated episodes of his mandate.