Longoria affair: OM president suspended for 15 matches

The disciplinary committee did not give any gifts to the president of OM and the vice-president of the Football League who, in fact, did not really deserve any.

For accusing the refereeing body of "corruption" and calling Ligue 1 a "shitty championship" on Saturday in Auxerre on countless occasions, Pablo Longoria was given a 15-match suspension, or until the 4th day of the 2025-2026 championship, a priori, in September. The commission made its decision on Wednesday evening after taking the time to listen to the justifications of the manager, who was present in Paris, at the LFP headquarters, for more than an hour.

This means that he will not be able to represent the club in competition during this period, but also in the League's bodies. An absence that is a blot in the midst of chaos surrounding TV rights and on the eve of a first legal response in the conflict with DAZN . The next Board of Directors must therefore meet on February 27.

The Longoria file was placed at the top of the pile. No one could escape the explosion that started this weekend from the aisles of the Abbé-Deschamps. "He is still vice-president of the League. It's crazy what happened," one of the eleven members of the commission was still surprised a few hours before the verdict. "I can tell you that the referees are wound up like clocks."

The corporation requested an exemplary sentence. It was able to count on the presence in the commission of Patrick Lhermite, former professional referee, now vice-president of the CFA (federal arbitration commission).

The Spanish manager was facing a three-match to six-month suspension. Forced to react to the public outcry and the announcement of a class action suit for defamation by L1 and L2 referees , he said on Monday that he "regretted" these remarks in an interview with AFP.

An exercise in contrition that is barely audible given the seriousness of the facts. He stated that there was "no corruption in French football" and explained his anger by "many refereeing decisions on which (he) considers that OM was disadvantaged".

This Sunday evening, OM will therefore host FC Nantes in a heated context. Will the Vélodrome sing chants hostile to the League? One thing is certain: Pablo Longoria will have plenty of time to watch the match in the stands. His sanction prohibits him from being on the edge of the pitch or in the locker rooms, but not from the stadium.

Marseille football director Mehdi Benatia knows the rules well. Longoria's right-hand man was sentenced to a three-month suspension on January 30 for his behavior toward the fourth official in the Coupe de France against Losc. A decision he has appealed - Longoria has not yet spoken on the subject.

In these conditions, sports advisor Fabrizio Ravanelli should have taken over alongside coach Roberto de Zerbi but he too was punished this Wednesday. He was sentenced to 3 firm matches for having described Jérémy Stinat's refereeing as "scandalous".

The latter also spoke for the first time on Wednesday in the columns of Sud-Ouest . Shaken by the damage done in front of his home in Landes and the death threats received on social networks, he says he is worried about his loved ones. "Now, we pay attention to everything. I didn't think things like this could happen to us." However, there is no question of putting away the whistle. He will be in charge from Sunday afternoon for Angers-Toulouse.