Marseille president Longoria gets 15-match ban over ‘corruption’ remark
Olympique Marseille president, Pablo Longoria, has been handed a 15-match suspension, ruling him out of his club’s push for next season’s Champions League.
This was after he launched a post-match tirade in which he called the officiating referee “corrupt” and demeaned the status of France’s top division, Rfi reports on Thursday.
An official statement on the club’s website read, “Olympique de Marseille acknowledges the sanction handed down today by the LFP disciplinary committee against its President, Pablo Longoria.
“The Chairman of the Board remains motivated and determined by the success of the three-year OM project that he initiated last summer.
“Pablo Longoria will also continue to make every effort to develop and promote French football, both nationally and internationally.”
Disciplinary Action
A French football league disciplinary panel sanctioned Longoria following his comments about the referees during Marseille’s 3-0 defeat to Auxerre on Saturday night at Stade Abbé-Deschamps.
The 39-year-old Spaniard was furious over referee Jérémy Stinat’s refusal to award Marseille a penalty and his decision to send off defender Derek Cornelius for two bookable offences.
Longoria’s sporting advisor, Fabrizio Ravanelli, also condemned the officiating as “scandalous.”
He received a three-game ban, effective from next Tuesday.
Apology, Justification
Two days after the incident, Longoria apologised in an interview with the French news agency AFP.
“The form wasn’t appropriate and I regret using that word,” he admitted.
“I’m very self-critical, and I can’t accept this type of image. A club president can’t behave like that. Nothing justifies the form, and I’m not happy with myself.”
He attempted to clarify his choice of words, explaining:
“Everyone has explained to me the meaning of the word corruption in French because in Spanish it has a broader meaning. Mind you, that doesn’t justify anything.
“But I’ve never in my life thought about something like exchanging money or financial transactions, and I’d never allow myself to do that.”
Repeated Offense, Verdict
The apology followed a statement from the French Football Federation’s ethics council, which had already flagged Longoria’s previous remarks against referees during Marseille’s match against Strasbourg on January 19.
“Barely a month ago, the ethics council had warned Mr. Longoria after he made comments that discredited refereeing,” the council’s statement read.
“Mr. Longoria took no notice of the warning and, on the contrary, went one step further by shouting: ‘Corruption, real corruption.’”
Just before Longoria’s hearing in Paris on Wednesday afternoon, the body overseeing refereeing in French football defended Stinat, stating they found nothing wrong with his decisions.
Six hours after Longoria appeared before the disciplinary panel, he was issued the 15-game suspension, effective immediately and extending into the 2025/2026 Ligue 1 season.
As part of the ban, Longoria is barred from the touchline, players’ and officials’ changing rooms, the pitch, the tunnel, and all corridors leading to these areas.
Ligue 1 Implications
Marseille’s defeat at Auxerre— their fifth loss of the season— left them 10 points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG capitalized on Marseille’s setback with a 3-2 win over Lyon on Sunday night, stretching their lead at the top to 13 points with 11 games remaining.
Auxerre, meanwhile, climbed to 11th place with 28 points after 23 games.
Less than an hour after Longoria’s suspension was announced, PSG continued their Coupe de France title defense with a dominant 7-0 victory over fourth-tier Stade Briochin.
The holders will next face either Reims (Ligue 1), Cannes (fourth division), or Dunkerque (Ligue 2).
NewsNGR Online reports that the club sit second on the table with 46 points – 13 points behind table leaders, PSG.
