The current coach of the OM youth team (who initially returned as an advisor and ambassador and then changed roles again in the summer) admits he has a poor relationship with Ali Zarrak, head of the reserve team.
Papin told La Provence: "I am the coach and I cannot allow this person to decide who my five substitutes are. When first-team players have come down to us for game needs, I have always respected the directives, but everything seems to depend on him. I do not need intermediaries to communicate with De Zerbi or President Longoria, but the problem with this person persists."
"For three weeks, there have been three cars of private security agents in front of my house. It's an unbearable situation. One day I was approached by two men on a motorbike who told me to leave Marseille. I don't know if this is linked to the situation at the club; I don't allow myself to think or say it, but I don't accept that people say that I don't respect the club's directives, while I'm experiencing something similar. We can't go on like this: either I stay, or the person in question leaves."