French Football Federation and Referees Respond to Marseille President’s Corruption Allegations

The French Football Federation (FFF) and the country’s referees have condemned Marseille president Pablo Longoria’s explosive accusations of corruption following his team’s 3-0 defeat to Auxerre in Ligue 1. The fallout from Longoria’s remarks has sparked legal threats and disciplinary action, further escalating tensions between Marseille and the league’s officiating body.

Marseille’s frustration with refereeing decisions has been a recurring theme this season, but Longoria’s latest comments mark an unprecedented escalation. His outburst came after the club’s fifth league defeat, which widened the gap between Marseille and league leaders Paris Saint-Germain to 10 points. PSG, with a game in hand, had the opportunity to extend their lead further with a win against Lyon later on Sunday.

“This is corruption! I’ve never seen anything like it. You can write it down: Pablo Longoria says it’s corruption,” the Marseille president reportedly fumed in a post-match rant, as cited by local media. He suggested that his club was the target of an orchestrated campaign, referencing Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi’s previous suspension and a controversial red card shown to Derek Cornelius during the match.

In response, FFF president Philippe Diallo issued a strongly worded statement denouncing Longoria’s claims. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the remarks made by the president and officials of Olympique de Marseille against French refereeing in general and the referee of yesterday’s match, Jérémy Stinat, in particular,” Diallo stated. “Calling into question the integrity of our referees is defamatory, unacceptable, and reprehensible. Such comments seriously damage the image of our league.”

The referees’ union, SAFE, also reacted with outrage, announcing plans to take legal action against Longoria. “Lawsuits will be filed for defamation and against all those behind the hate messages and death threats received since last night,” the union declared.

Marseille’s criticism of officiating has not gone unnoticed by the league’s disciplinary bodies. The FFF’s ethics committee has referred the matter to the French league’s disciplinary committee. Notably, Longoria had already received a warning last month over comments deemed to discredit refereeing. The committee criticized him for disregarding the warning and escalating his rhetoric instead.

The controversy centers around Cornelius’ second-half dismissal with Marseille trailing 1-0. The red card, which infuriated Longoria and head coach Roberto De Zerbi, was described by the latter as “scandalous.” De Zerbi also suggested that past disputes between Marseille and referees might have influenced officiating decisions. “The referee was not serene during the match. Perhaps past controversies affected his judgment. None of the referees were up to standard for a game of this magnitude,” he remarked.

Former Marseille player and current club advisor Fabrizio Ravanelli also voiced his displeasure, criticizing the referees’ performance and accusing them of incompetence. “The referee didn’t know what he was doing,” Ravanelli claimed. He also lamented past disciplinary decisions against Marseille, particularly the suspension of Balerdi.

This is not the first instance of disciplinary action against Marseille officials for disputes with referees. Earlier this year, the club’s director of football, Mehdi Benatia, received a three-month suspension for his conduct towards Stinat, who was acting as the fourth official during a French Cup match against Lille.

Longoria’s inflammatory comments also included a scathing indictment of the French league itself. He reportedly described Ligue 1 as a “shitty championship” and hinted that Marseille would be open to joining the controversial European Super League if invited.

As tensions escalate, the legal and disciplinary consequences of Longoria’s statements remain to be seen. With the FFF, referees, and league officials now aligned in their response, Marseille faces mounting scrutiny as the club navigates both its on-field struggles and off-field disputes.

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