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Papin accuses OM official of moral harassment and denounces stifled investigation

In an interview with L'Équipe, Jean-Pierre Papin, former coach of Marseille's reserve team, accuses Ali Zarrak of undermining his authority and subjecting him to moral harassment over eighteen months, citing an internal investigation that allegedly never reached a conclusion.

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Papin accuses OM official of moral harassment and denounces stifled investigation
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Jean-Pierre Papin has broken his silence on his departure from Olympique de Marseille, denouncing in an interview published Friday by L’Équipe moral harassment he says he suffered for eighteen months while leading the club’s reserve team, which he left at the end of the 2024-2025 season.

The 1991 Ballon d’Or winner names Ali Zarrak, former right-hand man to Medhi Benatia and head of Pro 2, as the instigator of this deterioration. “This man decides everything. Who should play, or not, who to punish, or not. He understands nothing about football, but he has his prerogatives. I alerted Pablo ten times, he promised me ten times he would handle it, nothing changed. He completely undermined my authority,” Papin said, referring to sporting director Pablo Longoria.

The former France striker nonetheless describes an encouraging start to his tenure: in his first season, Marseille’s reserve team finished second in their championship. It was Zarrak’s arrival in the second year that allegedly changed everything. “I start a second year and a person responsible for Pro 2 arrives. That’s the beginning of the disaster,” he sums up.

Among the most serious incidents he recounts is the presence of two motorcyclists outside his home, sent to notify him to leave the club. Papin also mentions an investigation conducted by an external firm to examine his harassment allegations, which was allegedly interrupted without explanation. “It was stopped, I never knew why or on whose orders,” he states.

The former striker makes no secret of his bitterness: “To have played so many years at OM and end on gossip fed by guys who know nothing about football, nothing about the club, that’s infuriating, it spoils the end.”

A few hours after the interview was published, Ali Zarrak responded on X without directly naming Papin: “When lies take the elevator, truth takes the stairs, it takes longer but always ends up arriving.” The Marseille club itself has not yet taken a public position.

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