Marseille owner stands by Pablo Longoria amid refereeing outburst | OneFootball

According to a report from RMC Sport, Olympique de Marseille president Pablo Longoria has received the support of the club owner Frank McCourt following his outburst on Saturday night.

The president took issue with the red card shown to Derek Cornelius during Marseille’s 3-0 defeat to Auxerre. After the game, Longoria reportedly said, “This is corruption! I’ve never seen anything like it. You can write it down: Pablo Longoria says it’s corruption.”

Longoria was criticised for this statement by the French FA and the referees’ union, while Ligue 1 referees were reportedly considering filing a legal complaint. On Monday, Longoria retracted his comments stating that he regretted using the word corruption.

RMC Sport writes that McCourt is not a fan of this sort of controversy, but appreciates Longoria’s efforts to apologise and explain his actions. The president is thought to have the full support of the owner.

The two have a reportedly close relationship. McCourt was vital in keeping Longoria in his role as president last season when it was reported that the Spaniard was thinking of stepping down from his position.

GFFN | Nick Hartland