In an interview given to The TeamAndré Villas-Boas, former OM coach and now president of FC Porto, revisited the ups and downs of his time in Marseille (2019-2021). While he has many positive memories, he also describes an end to the adventure marked by internal tensions and conflicting management, particularly with the unexpected arrival of Youssouf Ntcham.
“Ntcham, a coup d’état that broke everything”
Villas-Boas spoke of his dissatisfaction with the decision to recruit Ntcham on loan during the 2021 winter transfer window, against his advice. He describes this episode as “ coup d’état », explaining that this destabilized the team and undermined its trust in management: “I was not informed of Ntcham’s arrival, I said no for him. That’s why I submitted my resignation. »
The Portuguese believes that his departure was a question of values, not a stroke of blood. Attached to the club and the project led by Andoni Zubizarreta, his departure was precipitated by the latter’s departure and disagreements with Pablo Longoria, then the new strong man in sports management.
“OM, a beautiful but painful experience”
Despite this break, Villas-Boas maintains a strong emotional connection with OM: “OM is the Vélodrome, it’s the atmosphere of the stadium. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, but also one of the most painful. » He also pointed out the challenges linked to the Covid health crisis, which made his second season particularly difficult.
