Pablo Longoria, Marseille President: ‘Rebuilding a European Football Giant’ (Ep.90)

Today, we’re delighted to welcome Pablo Longoria to the show. Pablo is President of french football giant Marseille, marking a welcome venture for us into European football! Make no mistake, this is a huge club steeped in history, the most passionate fans, and a global brand. Managing all of this from a business perspective is a serious job. Then of course add into it the need to create a winning team on the pitch to drive it all, and that is the challenge that faces Pablo.From scout and technical director to club President, his route to the top is unique in itself. The approach is absolutely ‘results first’. They have compiled a squad with a strong balance of youth and experience, including former Premier League players such as Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Pierre-Emile Hojbjurg, and of course Mason Greenwood, whose controversial transfer is covered in this chat as we look at how Marseille are approaching the transfer market. The broader challenges for the club extend into the chaotic media landscape of french football and the challenge with competing against the biggest and established leagues with less financial clout. Deep insight into top top level football is not abundant. This is a fascinating reveal of what is takes to run one European football’s most iconic organisations. Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:01 Pablo Longoria’s Path to Football Executive08:18 Joining Olympique de Marseille10:12 The State of Marseille When Pablo Arrived11:37 Revenues: Ticketing, Security, Food & Beverage20:19 How On-Pitch Success Drives Business Growth21:56 Pablo’s Role in Player Recruitment24:52 What People Get Wrong About Football Managers28:41 Football Director vs Manager: What’s the Difference?29:42 Managing Transfer Market Inflation39:33 How Fans Influence Transfer Strategy43:29 Learning from Transfer Mistakes45:45 Where Marseille Fits in the Football Pyramid49:22 Inside France’s Evolving Media Rights Landscape53:53 The Competitive Imbalance in French Football55:09 How CVC’s Investment Impacts French Clubs56:37 Winning vs Profitability Under U.S. Ownership01:01:26 The Concentration of Value in Top Leagues01:07:18 Underinvestment in Technology Across Sport01:10:49 Where Marseille Aims to Be in Five YearsOn today’s show we discuss: The Business of Modern Football:How Pablo is leading one of Europe’s biggest clubs through the most challenging media landscape in decades.Why Champions League qualification changes the balance sheet by up to 40%, and how to plan when your core revenue can fluctuate by €80 million.How Marseille balances community accessibility, with tickets as low as €12, against the commercial pressures of competing at Europe’s top tableBuilding for the Long Term:Why sporting performance is the engine behind every revenue stream.The psychology of team-building and Pablo’s “building-floor” theory explaining why some players succeed and others fail.How De Zerbi’s arrival marked a turning point for Marseille and what true alignment between coach, sporting director and CEO looks likeThe Media Rights Revolution:What the collapse of French TV rights means for clubs across Ligue 1.What leagues can learn from the Premier League’s ability to globalise its productTransfers & the Future of Football:Why Marseille’s recruitment strategy focuses on age profiles others overlook and how to find value.Why he believes football must evolve from a “sports industry” to an “entertainment industry” to survive the next decadeA huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: David Go and check out the amazing products revolutionising the protein bar at https://davidprotein.comStrydeBringing sports investment opportunities to your door. Visit http://www.gostryde.com to become part of the movement!