Marseille president Pablo Longoria voiced his outrage following his team’s 3-0 defeat at Auxerre on Saturday. He was particularly incensed by several refereeing decisions that he felt unfairly disadvantaged his side. In the aftermath, Longoria did not hold back, going as far as to suggest that Marseille could leave Ligue 1 for a proposed Super League. His comments were particularly strong, claiming, “This is corruption! I’ve never seen anything like it. You can write it down: Pablo Longoria says it’s corruption.”
Manager Roberto De Zerbi also expressed his discontent, stating that once his tenure with Marseille concluded, he would not coach in France again.
Disputed Officiating Decisions and Referee Controversy
The focus of Longoria’s ire was referee Jérémy Stinat, who officiated the match and made several contentious calls. One key decision was denying Marseille a penalty, a moment that further fueled Longoria’s frustration. Additionally, defender Derek Cornelius was shown a second yellow card, reducing Marseille to ten men.
Stinat’s involvement in a separate controversy earlier in the season also resurfaced. A previous complaint had been filed concerning his role in the three-month suspension of football director Medhi Benatia after Marseille’s Coupe de France elimination in January.
SAFE Defends Referees and Seeks Action
On Sunday, the French referees’ union, SAFE (Syndicat des Arbitres du Football d’Elite), responded firmly to Longoria’s accusations. In a statement titled “No, referees are not corrupt,” SAFE condemned the remarks and announced plans to escalate the matter to the French FA’s National Ethics Committee.
The union argued that frustration over a loss should not lead to questioning the integrity of officials. “Evoking an organized corruption system is not only defamatory for the referees evolving in the professional championships: it is proof of ignorance of their work and their commitment to the service of football,” the statement read. SAFE made it clear that they would not tolerate unfounded allegations against match officials.
