Picture: OM.fr
Pablo Longoria: "I am passionate"
Becoming president at 34-years-old
It's abnormal as it is to start at 18-years-old in football but that's the magic of Marseille. I think it's the only club in the world that accepts to have a foreign president, such a young president because in Marseille there are many nationalities, many cultures. It is the only club where this is possible.
It's a responsibility, to be up to the task and to give results to the people who have put their trust in me.
During matches
I prefer to watch the games from the bench. There are different traditions in different countries: in Germany or Italy, many directors go to the bench, but I don't do that here because the bench is the coach's domain.
I move around a lot during the matches... I am passionate. I really get into the matches a lot. The pressure of a match and the result are so intense that I lose get excited with every important event of the match. I can't watch a football match without emotion. The day when the stadium is full of joy will be a special moment in my life.
OM, It's history
The (European) Cup (of 1993) is cemented into the history of the city, everyone remembers it, talks about that moment and how it united many generations. You have to understand the history of a club, I watched a lot of games, documentaries about the 1993 and the 1991 era, with the lost final in Bari. I also did this at Juventus with all the Juventus Champions League games to try to understand the history.
Jorge Sampaoli
He could have been born here in Marseille. Marseille is a city that resembles three other cities in the world: Naples, Buenos Aires and Montevideo. In particular Naples and Montevideo, which are two ports, cities of hospitality. Jorge Sampaoli immediately understood the mentality of the city and he immediately shared the mentality that we want to create.
recruitment
I try to develop a lot of information about the players, it's almost mandatory. Sometimes you have to put a player in a difficult situation to make him understand that if he doesn't want to work, have respect, challenge himself every day - I can tell him not to come here because he will not fit.
I can watch 6 or 7 matches a day, I still enjoy watching so many matches, discovering, analysing, it's my passion.
The Academy
Young people represent freshness. In Marseille, young people can represent a way of identifying with the city. We must try to bring together all the Marseille players and give them opportunities. This will facilitate a common bond with our people. If you're looking for excellence, it's not going to happen in a year or two but maybe in five or six years. It's a long term thing but we have an obligation to the city to do this kind of work.
supporters
Everyone must have their place at OM. OM cannot exist without its supporters. We have signed a new agreement with the supporters' groups. We have to all progress in this new direction and everyone has to work together. Our objective is common: good results and to act for the good of the club.
