Several leading figures from Olympique de Marseille’s supporter groups met on Monday to discuss the club’s increasingly fragile situation, according to reporting from L’Équipe.
During those discussions, the possibility of issuing a joint public statement was raised and debated, with a shared belief emerging that a strong gesture is now required from the club’s leadership.
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According to L’Équipe, two principal demands have crystallised from those talks. The first concerns Leonardo Balerdi, with several supporter leaders calling for the removal of the captaincy from the Argentine defender, who has been heavily criticised in recent weeks amid Marseille’s poor run of form.
The second, more far-reaching request is the departure of head coach Roberto De Zerbi, whose position has come under increasing scrutiny as tensions rise both inside the club and around the project more broadly.
The supporter unrest comes against a backdrop of wider instability at Marseille. As previously reported by L’Équipe, the atmosphere within the club has significantly deteriorated in recent months, with players uneasy about working conditions and uncertain over several sporting decisions.
While De Zerbi is understood to retain the backing of the club’s hierarchy, pressure has continued to build following a turbulent start to the year. This was compounded by a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique on Sunday evening after earlier elimination from the Champions League in January.
GFFN | George Boxall
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