‘I knew where I was going to end up in Marseille‘ – Jonathan Clauss opens up on Marseille exit | OneFootball

Pushed towards the exit at Olympique de Marseille, Jonathan Clauss (31) reunited with Franck Haise, his former manager at RC Lens, by signing at OGC Nice on a €5M fee. During his presentation to the southern club, the France international right back opened up on his last few months with Les Phocéens.

Arriving from Lens in 2022, Clauss enjoyed two successful seasons in the South of France, logging nine assists in his first season before being pushed towards the exit last winter. The defender ultimately stayed after rejecting a move to Villarreal but suffered massive criticism from Mehdi Benatia, Marseille’s sporting director. The former Morocco international publicly criticised his players behaviour, stating that he “was warned about two or three players, whose behaviour was sometimes a bit borderline. Jonathan was one of those players. I know he was called to the manager’s office on multiple occasions and told that more was expected of him in terms of his attitude, as a leader and as a France international. We thought he had understood the message, but unfortunately, he had not.” Marseille’s sporting director was even accused of bullying by UNFP, and the club’s president, Pablo Longoria, had to calm the situation.

Marseille’s critics ‘played a part in my decision’

Clauss’ departure from Marseille seemed inevitable this summer, and despite being reportedly offered to West Ham United, the right-back didn’t go far away from the southern city as he joined INEOS-owned OGC Nice. During his presentation, Clauss was asked about the public critics impact on his decision to leave Marseille: “That was definitely a factor in my decision. I knew where I was going to end up (in Marseille). I knew the environment. Maybe what I need now is to get back to work and be serious, to avoid the rumours that are out there, but which are part and parcel of the life of a footballer. Today, I’m just happy to be here and to be working with the people around me.” Clauss signed a two-year deal with the French Riviera outfit.

GFFN l Grégoire Devaux