Barca legend wants Marseille to have ‘soul’ of 1990s success

MARSEILLE: Everyone keeps asking Andoni Zubizarreta, a Barcelona legend, why he joined Marseille and when they are going to unveil the next Lionel Messi.

“That is the first question that Patrice Evra asked when I went to Turin to sign him up,” the Spanish goalkeeper hero and now sporting director at the French giants said.

Evra has been one of a number of big name signings made by Marseille since they were bought last year by American tycoon Frank McCourt.

Zubizarreta, part of the team that won Barcelona’s first European Cup in 1992 and sporting director from 2010-2015 when they claimed another two Champions League titles, has been a key signing of intent for Marseille, who will face a key test when they take on arch-rivals Paris St Germain tomorrow.

“As I told Evra, between 1991-1994 there was either OM or my Barcelona in the Champions League final. We won it in 1992 and them in 1993.

“My memory is of this Olympique Marseille, a club with a big soul, a passion for football. You live it, you feel it.”

Zubizarreta added that McCourt and club president Jacques-Henri Eyraud had put across a plan to makeMarseille a competitor on a European level.

“It was as great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone, change country, change football and language.”

Zubizarreta and new coach Rudi Garcia are rebuilding Marseille and their current sixth place is not where they want to be.

But the signing of Evra from Juventus, Dimitri Payet from West Ham, Morgan Sanson from Montpellier and Remy Cabella from Newcastle is a sign of the change.

Zubizarreta said Marseille need a stronger structure, which he considers his speciality.

“At Marseille we have the pieces of the puzzle but not connection between them. We had to change the syntheticpitch attheLaCommanderie training ground that was too old. It was a clear need but people were asking who decides and how to fit it in the timetable.” — AFP