Chancel Mbemba’s official presentation at the LOSC took place in a tense atmosphere, marked by virulent criticism from Olivier Létang, president of the Lille club. The pond clearly pointed to the management of the Mbemba file by Pablo Longoria at OM, claiming that the Marseille club had hindered the departure of the defender the previous summer, resulting in a white year for the player. Despite his smile and discretion, Mbemba did not want to go back to Marseille, letting his new president do the communication work. The pond even revealed that it attempted to attract Mbemba to the LOSC in the summer of 2024, but Longoria had strongly opposed this operation.

This situation follows a particularly difficult 2024-2025 season for Mbemba at OM. After refusing certain starting options, he was excluded from the group and deprived of playing time, not arguing any official meeting with the Marseille club. The pond stressed the emotional impact of such a situation for a player of an experience like Mbemba, implicitly denouncing Marseille management. This episode illustrates a persistent fragility in relations between OM and LOSC, already visible during the negotiations around Edon Zhegrova this summer.

Létang’s attitude is even perceived by some observers as a deliberate desire to complicate things for OM, recalling its past as a leader at the PSG. While Mbemba opened a new chapter in his career in Lille, the conflict between Longoria and Létang seemed far from solved. This situation is further highlighted by the recent debate on OM’s performance in the Champions League and possible strategies to beat the PSG, highlighting the important issues surrounding the Marseille club.