Olympique Marseille president, Pablo Longoria, has been handed a 15-game suspension following his controversial remarks about match officials, a ruling that sidelines him from his club’s Champions League qualification push.
The French football disciplinary body imposed the sanction after Longoria accused referee Jérémy Stinat of corruption and criticized the standard of Ligue 1 officiating.
His outburst came after Marseille’s 3-0 loss to Auxerre at Stade Abbé-Deschamps, where key refereeing decisions went against his team.
Following the ruling, Marseille issued an official statement acknowledging the disciplinary action against their president.
“Olympique de Marseille acknowledges the sanction handed down today by the LFP disciplinary committee against its President, Pablo Longoria,” the statement read.
Despite the ban, the club reaffirmed Longoria’s commitment to his long-term vision for Marseille.
“The Chairman of the Board remains motivated and determined by the success of the three-year OM project that he initiated last summer.
“Pablo Longoria will also continue to make every effort to develop and promote French football, both nationally and internationally.”
Longoria’s frustration boiled over after referee Stinat refused to award Marseille a penalty and sent off defender Derek Cornelius for two bookable offenses during their weekend clash. His advisor, Fabrizio Ravanelli, also lashed out at the officiating, calling it “scandalous.” Ravanelli has been handed a three-game suspension, set to take effect next Tuesday.
In an interview with AFP two days later, Longoria expressed regret for his remarks.
“The form wasn’t appropriate and I regret using that word,” he admitted.
“I’m very self-critical, and I can’t accept this type of image. A club president can’t behave like that. Nothing justifies the form, and I’m not happy with myself.”
He also clarified that his use of the term “corruption” stemmed from linguistic differences between Spanish and French.
“Everyone has explained to me the meaning of the word corruption in French because in Spanish it has a broader meaning. Mind you, that doesn’t justify anything.
“But I’ve never in my life thought about something like exchanging money or financial transactions, and I’d never allow myself to do that.”
Longoria’s punishment follows a prior warning from the French Football Federation’s ethics council over similar comments he made after Marseille’s match against Strasbourg on January 19.
“Barely a month ago, the ethics council had warned Mr. Longoria after he made comments that discredited refereeing,” their statement read.
“Mr. Longoria took no notice of the warning and, on the contrary, went one step further by shouting: ‘Corruption, real corruption.’”
Before the hearing, the refereeing authority in France defended Stinat’s decisions, stating they found no errors in his handling of the game.
Six hours after Longoria’s disciplinary meeting in Paris, the 15-match suspension was confirmed.
The ban, effective immediately, extends into the 2025/2026 Ligue 1 season and restricts Longoria from the touchline, dressing rooms, pitchside, tunnel, and any corridors leading to these areas.
Marseille’s defeat to Auxerre marked their fifth loss of the season and left them trailing Paris Saint-Germain by 10 points in the title race.
PSG took full advantage of their rivals’ slip-up, securing a 3-2 victory over Lyon to extend their lead to 13 points with 11 matches remaining. Auxerre, meanwhile, moved up to 11th place with 28 points from 23 games.
Shortly after Longoria’s suspension was announced, PSG continued their Coupe de France campaign with a commanding 7-0 win over fourth-tier side Stade Briochin.
The defending champions now await their next opponent, which could be Reims (Ligue 1), Cannes (fourth division), or Dunkerque (Ligue 2).
As things stand, Marseille sit second in Ligue 1 with 46 points, 13 behind table-topping PSG.
