Thunderbolt at OM! Marseille president Pablo Longoria announced on Friday the departure of Dimitri Payet, who is leaving the club with a heavy heart.
The love story between Dimitri Payet and OM is coming to an end. On Friday, the president of the Marseille club, Pablo Longoria, announced the departure of the attacking midfielder (36 years old). “It’s not an easy time. We called this press conference to announce that we decided not to continue the adventure with Dimitri Payet. It was many weeks of discussions. We decided to go our separate ways.”he said alongside the player, in tears.
Relegated to the bench by Igor Tudor last season, the Marseille n°10 hoped to find playing time and pleasure under the orders of Marcelino. But the new Spanish coach of Ciel et Blanc obviously had other plans for his team. “It’s a difficult decision to make as a club, but we take it knowing that it’s what’s best for the club”added the boss of OM, who addressed a few words of praise to the former French international.
” I want to play “
“Dimitri, you are a very important part of this club, you have inspired many supporters. We shared good times, but even in difficult times, you helped the club. If I have to define you in two words, I would say ‘genius’ and ‘talent’he slipped. It’s not a ‘goodbye’, it’s a ‘see you soon’. The doors of the club are wide open. I want to wish you the best for this stage in your career. OM is your home, it’s your house. »
🙌💙
A pure talent endowed with a rare elegance, OM’s number 10 marked the club with his technical class, his goals and his assists which inspired a whole generation of Olympians.
The whole club wishes Dimitri Payet, as well… pic.twitter.com/1JAYweOxNA
– Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) July 21, 2023
Returning to Olympique de Marseille in 2017 for nearly 30 million euros, after spending two seasons in the Premier League at West Ham, the former Lille resident left the club and his supporters with a heavy heart. The following ? “I would like to continue playing football because it’s true that I’m coming out of a very difficult season with little playing time…he said, before being overtaken by emotion. It’s going to be hard… I just want to play, to find pleasure on the pitch again. »
Payet has already announced his return
It is sad but without bitterness that he turns the page. “As the president said, we have always had a frank and sincere relationship. We had a discussion well before the resumption of training and he expressed an honestyhe explained. It’s not easy to digest but I think it has the merit of being honest. This is not what was expected from my side. I took some time trying to find the best solution and the best solution is to accept the club’s decision. »
And the Olympian captain continues: “We sat around a table and we discussed a lot of points. The club offered me, if I stopped today, a retraining. But I still have the ball and the pleasure to give… We also made progress on post-career and on joining the club at the end of my career. My end of career will be marked by my return here. To record this, we discussed a jubilee that will be held here, at the Vélodrome, with the people who mattered to me. »
