While talking to the media, former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-de-Marseille-c40127 explained reasons that led to the resignation of Eric Gerets as coach of the Ligue 1 side. The Belgian has been linked with a return to the club in recent weeks
Former agent, Pape Diouf became the president of Olympique de Marseille in 2005 and kept the position until 2009 following the death of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Robert-c31222 Louis Dreyfus.
During his time, Marseille was one of the best clubs in Ligue 1 and also developed a reputation of being a feeder club for many European clubs. Diouf was http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 star, Didier Drogba’s agent and the striker was the reason behind Diouf’s arrival at Marseille.
However, Drogba left Marseille in 2004 for Chelsea and then went on to become one of the best strikers Africa ever produced.
One of the controversies during Diouf’s tenure as president was of the departure of Eric Gerets as coach of Les Phoceens. The former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Belgium-c2850 international managed the Rhone giants between 2007 and 2009 and despite not being able to win anything, was a fan
favourite.
His unceremonious and controversial departure is still in the memory of Marseille fans. Many people consider Diouf as the reason behind the Belgian’s departure.
Gerets also says that he was forced in a corner where he had no option other than walking out. The Belgian says that the club wanted him to deliver a Ligue 1 title which was not a possibility at that time. However, Diouf has come out to further elaborate
the reasons behind the departure.
The former OM supremo says that after his first season, he increased Gerets’ salary and made another appointment for December 2008.
Diouf then met the late Robert Louis Dreyfus and his entourage which included current Marseille president Vincent Labrune. Diouf asked Dreyfus to extend Gerets’ contract but the club owner was hesitant.
“Gerets was doing his http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Job-c18684 and I thought it was unfair (to wait). Gerets said that too. At that time, he knows that the commitment I made with him in December could not be met as the owner of the club preferred to wait until the end of the season,” says Diouf.
Diouf then went on to meet Dreyfus in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Switzerland-c3016 and warned him to sort out Gerets’ contractual issue in order to avoid another Drogba-like scenario.
In the end, Gerets left the club. Certainly from his view, Diouf had nothing to do with Gerets’ departure but another side of the story should clear things up.
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