The Marseille club announced to the attacking midfielder, who arrived eight years ago, the end of his adventure in Marseille.
“We decided to go our separate ways.“With these words, the president of Olympique de Marseille, Pablo Longoria, announced this Friday July 21 the departure of Dimitri Payet, in a press conference at which the Reunionese player was also present. Relegated to the rotation of the Marseille club last season under the orders of Igor Tudor, the French international still had a year of contract with OM.
At 36, Payet assures that he wants to continue his career, before returning to Marseille to join the coaching staff of the last third in Ligue 1.
“It’s not an easy timeLongoria continued. It was many weeks of discussions. It’s a difficult decision to make, but we take it by telling ourselves that it’s what’s best for OM.” “I don’t feel angry, the leaders have been more than correctconfirmed Payet, in tears. You have to respect their decision, what they want to put in place. I wish them the best and I will be the first supporter of Olympique de Marseille.“
The player with 326 games played with OM (78 goals, 95 assists) is now free to commit where he wishes.
“I would like to continue playing, because I am coming out of a season with little playing time. I simply want to find pleasure on the pitch again.”
Dimitri PayetAt a press conference, July 21, 2023
Returning to La Canebière in January 2017 following a very good Euro 2016 with the France team, and after a first spell at the club between 2013 and 2015, Dimitri Payet will have had a history as passionate as hectic with OM. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes scolded by fans for his state of form, he ended up losing the confidence of coach Igor Tudor, only playing a few matches in the second half of the season. The arrival on the bench of the Spaniard Marcelino will not be an opportunity to revive.
“It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t what was planned on my sidehe revealed. The best solution is to accept this decision of the club, even if it’s hard. The club asked me if I wanted to stop playing and join the staff. It was an important point for me and for the club, it’s a parenthesis of one, two or three years, depending on what my body will allow me. My end of career will be marked by my return here. There will be a jubilee here at the Vélodrome with people who mattered to me.”