Liverpool’s turbulent season has caught the attention of Marseille’s newly appointed president Stephane Richard.
Marseille president hits out at Liverpool
Liverpool’s turbulent season has caught the attention of Marseille’s newly appointed president Stéphane Richard – and he hasn’t held back in using the Reds as a prime example of why money alone doesn’t buy success.
Richard was officially confirmed as Olympique de Marseille’s new president on Friday, stepping into the role vacated by Pablo Longoria after his departure last month.
The former Orange CEO will formally take up his position from July, with his first major test being the summer transfer window. Unsurprisingly, reporters wasted no time asking him what kind of financial firepower the club will have heading into the market.
Rather than making big promises, Richard delivered a pointed reality check… and Liverpool were the cautionary tale he reached for.
He said as quoted by Maxifoot:
“I’m not going to say that OM hasn’t been clever until now [in recruitment], because that wouldn’t be kind to those who have carried this club, and I don’t believe that’s the case. The ambition is clear, it remains and is reaffirmed: to establish OM within the small group of European clubs that have a vocation to play in the Champions League every year, therefore to feature in the Ligue 1 Top 3.”
He then referenced Liverpool’s past summer as reason why money is not everything in elite football:
“The ambition is clearly reaffirmed. After that, let’s not prejudge what will happen. The summer period is crucial, but I think it’s much too early to talk about that. But it’s not just a question of resources — we can see, I won’t make sporting comments, clubs that have spent colossal amounts of money but have disappointing results, notably Liverpool with more than 480 million euros spent last summer. Football is not just a question of money.”
The remarks land at a painful moment for Liverpool. Arne Slot’s side are enduring yet another poor run in very disappointing season – knocked out of the FA Cup with a 4-0 thrashing by Manchester City and heading into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against PSG two goals down.
Three successive defeats in all competitions have left the Reds in fifth place in the Premier League (which will be enough to qualify for the Champions League), a position unbecoming of a side that spent so lavishly last summer.