February 24 – Marseille president Pablo Longoria (pictured) faces almost certain punishment from French footballing authorities after an outburst on Saturday in which he claimed his club were the victims of “corruption” following a 3-0 Ligue 1 loss to Auxerre.
France’s referees union said they were taking legal action after Longeria’s “unacceptable” comments.
Longoria criticised referee Jeremy Stinat after his decision to show defender Derek Cornelius a second yellow card during the match, saying: “This is corruption. I’ve never seen anything like it. You can write it down: ‘Pablo Longoria says it’s corruption.’ Everything has been organised. It’s planned, it’s rigged.”
Earlier this year, Marseille director of football Mehdi Benatia was suspended for three months by the French Football Association for his behaviour during Marseille’s Coupe de France defeat to Lille on January 14.
In response to Longoria’s incendiary remarks, France’s referee’s union, SAFE, charged: “Lawsuits will be filed for defamation. And against all those behind the hate messages and death threats received since last night.”
“French referees are not corrupt. Losing a game can’t justify questioning the integrity of French referees. To suggest there’s a system of organised corruption is not only defamatory for the referees in the professional leagues; it’s proof of ignorance of their work and their commitment to serving football and it is to throw to the wolves all the referees officiating at professional, but also amateur, levels with the consequences that this can bring.”
French football federation president Philippe Diallo also called out Longoria, a Spaniard who previously worked at Valencia and became Marseille president in February 2021 after a five-month spell as the club’s managing director.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the remarks made by the president and officials of Olympique de Marseille against French refereeing in general and the referee of yesterday’s match, Jeremy Stinat, in particular, to whom I offer my full support,” Diallo declared.
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