Olympique de Marseille and coach André Villas-Boas are poised to go their separate ways after the Portuguese tactician tendered his resignation on Tuesday.
"I don't want anything from Marseille. I don't want money," the coach said at the press conference before OM's Ligue 1 Uber Eats meeting with RC Lens on Wednesday. "The place needs a clear-out, including myself."
Marseille's league form had plummeted in recently, with the 3-1 loss at AS Monaco two weeks ago their third consecutive league defeat. There was fan trouble at the club's training ground last week, leading to the Round 22 meeting with Stade Rennais FC being postponed.
Watch: Highlights of Marseille's 3-2 loss to Monaco
Villas-Boas said that "had nothing to do" with his decision, though. Rather the arrival of Olivier Ntcham from Celtic, unbeknownst to the coach, made his mind up.
"The transfer window finished with the arrival of a new player; a decision which wasn't taken by me," he said. "I had nothing to do with this decision. In fact I learnt about it in the press this morning. It is precisely a player for whom I said no. He was never a player on our list."
The club responded with an official statement.
"Olympique de Marseille announces the suspension of André Villas-Boas," it read. "The comments made today at a press conference with regard to Pablo Longoria, director general in charge of football, are unacceptable."
