Maligned Marseille make Milan's Madman manager

Pablo Longoria, the president of Marseille, is actively pursuing Gennaro Gattuso as his top choice for the head coach position, intending to replace Marcelino Garcia Toral. The Italian coach will almost certainly be on the sidelines as soon as Saturday for the match against Monaco. The former Valencia head coach will sign a one-year deal with another year option.

Negotiations between Gattuso and OM have progressed to an advanced stage, with the Italian coach emerging as Longoria's preferred candidate. The president has been seeking a successor to Jacques 'Pancho' Abardonado, who has served as interim coach for the past two matches following Marcelino's resignation.

Gattuso is expected to take charge at OM as early as Saturday's match against Monaco. The negotiations have been conducted discreetly and highly productive in securing the former Italian international as the new head coach.

Gattuso arrives with a staff of five assistants: Luigi Riccio (loyal assistant, Neapolitan by birth and former Serie A player), Dino Tenderini and Bruno Dominici (fitness coaches), Marco Sangermani (video analyst) and Roberto Perrone (goalkeeper coach). Current OM GK coach Jon Pascua will likely remain at the club because he's previously worked with Gattuso.

Marseille urgently needed to act following Marcelino's departure, and Longoria was drawn to Gattuso, a former iconic player for AC Milan known for his charisma and strong personality. Gattuso, a member of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning team, fits the profile that Marseille was seeking in a coach – someone with character to invigorate a squad lacking in personality and to navigate through a crisis. He arrives in as a solution to revive a struggling OM and is expected to sign a one-season contract. With coaching experience in Spain and Italy, including a two-year stint at Napoli, Gattuso is no stranger to intense atmospheres and hot-headed ultras.

This appointment comes at a time when Marseille has been embroiled in a crisis since last week, triggered by a heated meeting between supporter association representatives and the club's leadership, which eventually led to Marcelino's resignation two days later. Under the interim management of Abardonado, OM secured a dramatic draw against Ajax in the Europa League but suffered a heavy defeat in Paris last Sunday. The challenges continue for Marseille with a demanding schedule in the coming days, including an away match against Monaco on Saturday, followed by a home game against Brighton on Thursday in the Europa League – the first match at the Velodrome since the crisis unfolded.

As reported by RMC Sport on Monday, Olympique de Marseille had initially reached out to Christophe Galtier, who has been available since leaving PSG in June, to gauge his interest in the vacant coaching position. However, Longoria has shifted his focus to target Gattuso, who has been available in the market since his dismissal from Valencia in January.