L’Équipe and Le Parisien have revealed that former Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier turned down an approach from Olympique de Marseille. Italian manager Gennaro Gattuso looks set to take over in the coming hours.
Marseille are in the market for a replacement for Marcelino, who departed the club after just seven games last Wednesday. The Spaniard left after being the subject of threats and insults from the club’s supporter groups. President Pablo Longoria was also subjected to these threats and has been for some time, and so he temporarily stepped back from his role in order to consider his future. On Friday, he announced that he would remain with Les Phocéens in a press conference.
Longoria has since been charged with the task of finding Marcelino’s successor. OM were looking to hire a manager currently out of work, and former player Galtier, who is from the city, quickly became a priority. Whilst Galtier, who has been out of work since leaving PSG at the end of last season, was interested and engaged in discussions with Marseille, the timing wasn’t right for a return.
Galtier rejected Marseille’s offer on Tuesday morning. The decision was difficult to make, given his links to the club, and the city, however, the timing wasn’t right. Marseille wanted their manager in the dugout before Saturday’s match against AS Monaco, and this timeframe didn’t suit Galtier. Le Parisien also cite a lack of time on the training pitch between now and December with Marseille facing a hectic schedule, given their European commitments.
Gattuso will instead take charge of Les Phocéens in what is expected to be a one-year deal at the Stade Vélodrome.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
