Former Olympique de Marseille coach, Rudi Garcia, gave an exclusive interview to MédiaCarré, looking back on key episodes in his career. Unaccustomed to expressing himself in the media, he shared his thoughts on his time at OM, his relationship with Jacques-Henri Eyraud, the McCourt project and memorable memories.
An arrival marked by skepticism
Rudi Garcia first spoke about the circumstances of his arrival at OM in 2016. Recruited shortly after the takeover of the club by Frank McCourt, he admits to having hesitated to commit: “At first I was skeptical and not convinced, but I studied the offer anyway. What held me back was the volcanic aspect that characterizes the club.” Despite these doubts, he eventually took the reins of the team, beginning a tenure marked by ups and downs.
Jacques-Henri Eyraud and the “Champion’s Project”
Garcia also commented on the vision of Jacques-Henri Eyraud, president of OM at the time, who wanted to “dispassionate” the Marseille environment. “He was right. He cleared things up a bit, something that wasn’t easy,” he admitted, while expressing reservations about the communication of the “Champion’s Project”: “You can be ambitious, but it’s better to show your ambitions internally.”
Rudi Garcia praises several players but not Payet
Asked about his first season in Marseille, Garcia praised the importance of Florian Thauvin and Bafétimbi Gomis: “I especially had two players who pulled the team together: Flo Thauvin and Bafé Gomis.” On the other hand, he said nothing about Dimitri Payet, although he performed very well under his orders..Proof that the two men left on very bad terms.
“I tried to give importance to him, as well as to Flo Thauvin. But it was difficult to get them to live together.”
he added about the Reunionese.
He also talked about unforgettable moments, including the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Leipzig in 2018:
“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this anywhere else. For that alone, I am happy to have moved to Olympique de Marseille.”
An exceptional human adventure
Finally, Rudi Garcia wanted to recall the collective spirit which animated his group during the course in the 2017-2018 Europa League:
“We had an incredible human adventure with the whole group.” With this interview, Rudi Garcia offers a fascinating insight into his years in Marseille, mixing sincerity and nostalgia. Not sure, however, that Olympian supporters appreciated this media outing. Or even hear from him.
