Andre Villas-boas Resigns After Marseille Ntcham’s Signing

Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas has offered his resignation, citing a disagreement over the Ligue 1 club’s sporting policy following the signing of Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham.

The Ligue 1 club completed the signing of Ntcham on Deadline Day, with the 24-year-old arriving on loan until the end of the season. The deal includes a £4.5m option to buy the midfielder.

But speaking at a news conference ahead of their game away to Lens on Wednesday, the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss said: “I submitted my resignation saying that I did not agree with the sporting policy.

“I don’t want anything from OM. I don’t want money.

“We ended the transfer window with a new player (Ntcham). He is a player that I had said no for.”

Olivier Ntcham has made seven league starts this season for Celtic and was denied a move to Brest in October.

Villas-Boas, who said last month he would leave when his contract expired at the end of the season, said he had not heard back from the board yet.

“The board has not answered to me yet. What happened last weekend has nothing to do with it,” the Portuguese said, referring to Saturday’s incidents in Marseille, where some fans broke into the club’s training centre amid protests against president Jacques-Henri Eyraud.

“I’m waiting for an answer, it could be no and then we would continue. I don’t want any money, I just want to leave.”

Ntcham, who was keen to leave Celtic Park last month, flew to Marseille on Tuesday morning following his departure from the Scottish champions on Deadline Day.

He made 14 league appearances for the Hoops and scored once in the first half of this season.

Ntcham joined Celtic from Manchester City in July 2017 and was denied a move to Brest in October. Newcastle were also reportedly interested in signing him in the January window.

Marseille, who were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, are ninth in Ligue 1, 16 points behind leaders Lille with two games in hand.

Former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Villas-Boas was appointed at the Stade Velodrome in 2019 and guided the club to a second-place finish last term, ending the campaign 12 points behind Paris Saint-Germain.

Villas-Boas’ comments constitute the latest controversy in an eventful week at the French club after their home game against Rennes was postponed just three hours before kick-off on Saturday because angry Marseille fans marched to the club’s training complex to protest against poor results.

A new date has not yet been set for the match. But Marseille’s next home game, against bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain next weekend, will fall under closer scrutiny following recent events.

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