A few weeks after the departure of Igor Tudor, Olympique de Marseille has its new tactician, officially appointed on Friday.
Renowned for being a demanding coach, the 57-year-old Spaniard is leaving the Iberian Peninsula for the first time in his career and will be packing his bags in Marseille. Marcelino, by his full name Marcelino García Toral, was officially appointed as the new coach of Olympique de Marseille on Friday June 23, to take over from Igor Tugor.
Free of any contract since leaving Athletic Bilbao on May 24, 2022, the name of the Spanish tactician, close to Marseille president Pablo Longoria, has often returned to La Canebière. On Wednesday, franceinfo had confirmation of the agreement between the two parties. It is now official. “Our discussions on the team and the project have encouraged reflection to make an informed and considered decision”, said the technician in a statement from the club. “His expertise and his personality correspond to the requirements of the high level. His experience will also be a considerable asset to reinforce the work undertaken last season.” rejoiced Javier Ribalta, general director of football at OM.
The time for mere rumors is over. Marcelino thus becomes OM’s 11th coach in the space of 12 years. Franceinfo: sport tells you more about the fourth Spanish coach to settle on the Marseille bench, after Luis Miro (1962-1963), Javier Clemente (2000-2001) and Michel (2015-2016).
A demanding coach with a strong character
His name is reminiscent of that of the innocent little boy from the cartoon of the 2000s, with a mischievous and reserved character. Don’t let that fool you, Marcelino is portrayed as an uncompromising coach, on and off the pitch. If he does not communicate with animals, he never hesitates to say what he thinks, whether to his management, his players or the press. Cédric Bakambu, who played under him at Villarreal between 2015 and 2016, described the Spaniard as “mentor”. “He’s the best coach I’ve had in my entire career”praised the former Marseillais, on November 15, 2022, in an interview with streamer Zack Nani.
Between Andre Villas-Boas, Jorge Sampaoli or even Igor Tudor, temperament level, the Marseillais have been served in recent years. In addition to his tenacious character, the Spaniard is distinguished by his attention to detail, in particular his meticulous approach to video analysis. “There was a lot of video explained Cédric Bakambu. That’s what changed between everything I had known before and Marcelino. That’s where I learned that video is a huge improvement.”
A fan of 4-4-2, aggressive pressing and fast transitions
Another notable change compared to Igor Tudor: Marcelino adopts a traditional 4-4-2 system, far from the innovative 3-4-3 of his predecessor. A tactic that “Walked for a while, but not with expected regularitypointed out Pablo Longoria, on June 5, at a press conference. We will not continue to play in individual marking on the whole field”, as was the case with Igor Tudor. The Croatian technician, praised for his spectacular approach to the game, constantly focused on the front, has sometimes been criticized for his lack of tactical adaptation.
Like the former OM coach, Marcelino rarely changes his famous 4-4-2. At the antipodes of a stereotypical and advocated possession beyond the Pyrenees, the Spaniard bases his philosophy on aggressive pressing and rapid transition phases, asking his players to verticality and rhythm. A game comparable to that of Igor Tudor, but with one difference: the 4-4-2 adopted by Marcelino, with two low and compact lines, reduces the risk of being caught from behind.
A good rating in Spain
For the first time in his career, Marcelino is going to discover a new country. Before settling in The Commandery, the 57-year-old tactician cut his teeth for almost 20 years on the Spanish benches. He experienced his first feats of arms between 2006 and 2009, where he managed to propel Huelva then Zaragoza into the Spanish first division. In the middle of these two climbs, in the 2007-2008 season, Marcelino called the Racing de Santander in the UEFA Cup for the very first time in its history, achieving the club’s best season there since 1934.
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Subsequently, his exploits allowed him to attract the eye of more prestigious clubs, like Sevilla FC, Villarreal, Valencia and finally Athletic Bilbao, where he won the Spanish Super Cup in 2021. A second title, after winning the King’s Cup with Villarreal in 2019. With the “yellow submarine” , Marcelino had an express rise to the first division, just months after his arrival. Then, thegold of the 2015-2016 season, a good fourth place in the championship in addition to having reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Old relations with Pablo Longoria
His experience in Valence is also marked by his collaboration with a certain… Pablo Longoria. The current Olympian president, sporting director of the Spanish club at that time, rubbed shoulders with Marcelino for almost a year and a half, from February 2018 to September 2019. But the two men had worked together for the first time in 2006, within the Huelva club. If it is sometimes recommended not to mix work and friendship, Marcelino and Pablo Longoria have proven, in the past, that this complicity could work.