Pablo Longoria: The press conference

the replay of the press conference on Twitch

Pablo Longoria: ‘We can be proud and happy’

Mid-season review

We still have an important official match to play in the Cup on Sunday. We need to analyse the first half of the season, which I divide into three parts. From the start to the end of the transfer window, when we were looking for balance. Some players arrived late for various reasons. Then came the real start of the season with important matches such as the one in Madrid. After that, there was the international break in October, which we went into with good momentum. Then, after the break, we settled into a normal rhythm. We managed the sequence of matches physically and mentally. We know that in the Champions League, here in particular, we have the desire to do well. This season, we have nine points and we can see the club's progress in the Champions League, we are picking up more points than in previous seasons in the Champions League. We are suffering physically and mentally. We have 32 points. We're travelling well. We have a lot of opportunities to get through the play-offs. I'm happy, we're back to normal in terms of getting good results.

You haven't lost a match by more than one goal. We can be proud and happy with the first half of the season. January is a very important month. First, we need to finish December well in Bourg-en-Bresse.

Departures during the transfer window

I don't think so, because we have two objectives in January. We want to get back the players we didn't have in the first half of the season, such as Traoré, Gouiri and Medina. I don't expect the kind of situations we've seen in the past. This summer, we wanted to improve the squad by increasing the number of players available for rotation. We sought to create depth in the squad. We started the season with a very clear economic objective. The January transfer window should allow us to maintain the team's competitiveness and manage the economic aspect of the Club.

The Champions Trophy

Playing in a final is an important situation for the Club. We are here to help the club reach its full potential and win titles. Playing in a final and bringing home a trophy, the first since 2012, is very important to us. Facing PSG, as we saw in yesterday's match, is special. Why Kuwait? There were offers for the final. There was no option in France. In terms of the league, there's an interesting opportunity to play there. You can't compare this economic model to that of Spain or Italy. We're looking to improve the commercial balance of this competition.

The transfer market and new arrivals

We've set the sporting management an economic objective. We're looking to improve the team, we do that all the time. We have a minor rotation in Greenwood's position. He can play in different positions. If there are opportunities later on, we need to have more attacking players. We didn't have Amine Gouiri during the last few competitive matches, nor Hamed Traoré.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

There are no talks between clubs. We don't want to lose important players. Today, it's not on the table. And I'm closing the door completely.

The internal mission at the club

In life, you shouldn't have regrets. Last season was challenging, with a lot of emotion. We tried to get the most out of it. Going from 8th to 2nd place is not easy. We put a lot of energy into it. In a football club, everyone has to work towards the same goal, and when that's not the case... Everyone has to be on the same page, and when that happens, it's easier to get results. It's something we work on every day. I'm much happier with the club's situation today than I was last May. The progress has been very positive. We've put things in place to help the club move forward.

The medical department

When you have nine players injured at the same time, nobody is happy, neither the supporters nor the medical department. It's not a problem with the people. It's a problem with the process. It put us on alert because we have to protect the players' health. We need to improve the rotation situation. When you have too many injuries, it means something isn't working. We analysed the situation, made corrections, and now things are working better.

This summer, we changed part of the medical department, and it took a little time to adapt to Roberto De Zerbi's working philosophy. It took a little time, but now everything is in order.

Bilal Nadir

Pol Lirola is well integrated into the group dynamic. He is an integral part of the group. I'm not happy when we have players at the end of their contracts. In Bilal's case, we need to analyse the situation. He is a very good footballer. He has had several stages in his career here. He had an injury against Norwich, then a cruciate ligament injury against Rennes. We are in discussions. We are happy with his performances. We hope that the talks will be successful.

Roberto De Zerbi

With Roberto De Zerbi, the situation is very clear. We want him to continue for many years. I want him to be the coach for a long time. I'm happy, he's the ideal coach for OM. When you get to know the person, every day I'm happier to work with him. He is extraordinary at his job. Now is not the time to talk about the future, in the middle of the season. We will have a sincere conversation when the time is right. He is starting to speak French. He is adapting and wants to look to the future. We will have to align ourselves with Roberto's ambition.

The sports building at the RLD centre

The move is scheduled for late February/early March. It's important to have a workplace where everyone can work in coordination. It was necessary. It's not easy to find a place that can accommodate more than 200 employees. We'll work better. I've been saying for a long time that we have an infrastructure problem, particularly in terms of the number of pitches. We're working to find options and solutions. We have to meet these requirements. We have various options for La Commanderie, but no decision has been made. We need to ask ourselves all the questions, pool our ideas and make decisions for the good of our teams.

Legends

A club must respect its history. A manager must put the right people in the right places. Currently, no legends hold positions of responsibility in the sporting side of the club. If there are former players who are competent, it makes sense to identify with them. We had JPP as coach of the second team. Now, as you can see, he is helping us here on the commercial side. A manager puts people where they can give their all for the Club.

The training centre

It is an important sign of evolution and progress. We are very happy. What would people have said about Roberto De Zerbi after the Newcastle game if we had lost with his decision to play Bakola? It takes courage to put our young players on the pitch; we want more local talent. When I saw Konaté make his debut with Leipzig, it broke my heart. We can't afford to see this situation. Here, it's perhaps more difficult for young players. We need to improve the situation, the playing time for players from the academy. Vaz, Mmadi, Bakola, there was work done beforehand, before we saw them on the pitch. Today, we are seeing the results of what we did in the past. Results are not the most important thing with the academy. They are the consequence of good work. We see that in the Youth League. We were unlucky in the draw. We played against some very good training centres in Europe.

Loaned players

We have sought to restructure in order to give importance to players who are outside the Club. We follow them, they are valuable. I haven't followed them, but we have a structure in place to do so. We need to work on monitoring them so that they can improve their level and we can help them move into the professional world.

The Orange Vélodrome

The City Council's agenda includes a 15-year lease for the stadium. This is good news for everyone. It gives us greater direction and allows us to carry out work. Since the stadium opened in 2015, there has been no major work. It was not designed to maximise commercial revenue. We want to improve the experience, the arrival, the food... We need to find a way of working in and around the stadium. It is in the city centre, which is an advantage, but we need to work on the conditions, particularly the spaces around the stadium. Do we have enough space to create a museum in the stadium? We need to make better use of the stadium.

Naming rights

The contract expires in 2026 and we are looking at various possibilities.

Relations with supporters

We have a meeting with the supporters tomorrow to take stock of the situation. Relations are normal. We have specific issues to address and need to analyse the situation. The relationship is very good. They are important players, and we need to explain things to them in a balanced way. We need dialogue to get everyone on the same page. As a supporter, I would appreciate explanations from the management. Their passion is a gift to us.

I wasn't happy about starting a match late, but we have to respect traditions. We need to find a balance.

Les Marseillaises

There were changes at the start of the season, during the competition. This change should stabilise us and give us continuity. We wanted to put structures in place and professionalise. We need to find a balance with all these changes. We are satisfied with Corinne Diacre's work. I am confident about the development of the section. We are seeing the fruits of our labour with the launch of Les Marseillaises. I believe in the development of women's football, with its independence. We need to create our own audience. Everyone is proud of what we are doing together. Women's football needs its own identity. I am happy with the results, even if the latest ones have not lived up to our expectations, but the progress is positive.

Mason Greenwood

We have 60% of the player's economic rights with the possibility of increasing this by 5% if we qualify for the Champions League. We are very happy with Mason's progress and the development of his game. Roberto De Zerbi's work with him has been extraordinary. He has improved a lot, he presses high up the pitch and wins the ball back. His talent is undisputed, and he strives every day to become a better player. He puts himself at the service of the team. We want continuity with him. It's difficult today to have a decisive player. You also need to have a team. The individual and the team are what bring him to this level.