Marcelino forced to quit Marseille amid fan 'war' threats as club chiefs slam personal attacks

Marcelino has quit as Marseille boss after just seven games due to alleged threats from supporters groups.

The former Valencia boss only took over the Ligue 1 outfit in the summer, replacing Igor Tudor at Stade Velodrome. But now the Spaniard has left his role, in a move confirmed by the Marseille board today. They released a statement last night slamming the actions of supporters, who threatened a "war" if the current coaching staff did not resign from their positions.

In an initial statement, club chiefs accepted criticism but insisted that personal attacks would not be tolerated. It read: "...following a meeting held on Monday September 18, 2023 at the Robert Louis-Dreyfus Training Centre, representatives of the supporters' associations expressed their wish to see the current OM Directorate resign . The threat of a “war” (sic) against them was issued, for as long as they did not resign from their posts.

"The OM Board of Directors believes in a transparent and regular relationship with its supporters, and everyone at the club – players, staff and management – considers that criticism is an integral part of the role and honour of representing OM on and off the field.

"On the other hand, the OM Directorate cannot accept personal threats. Its members cannot tolerate individual attacks and any form of unfounded public defamation. A relationship based on intimidation cannot guarantee the minimum acceptable conditions for the club's board of directors to continue to invest in the transformation of OM."

Now, they have released a follow up statement confirming Marcelino's exit ahead of their Europa League clash with Ajax: "As a result of this regrettable situation, Marcelino and his staff will not continue the job they started