Posted on November 18, 2021 at 6.30 p.m. by BC
Arrived this summer at OM, Pau Lopez spoke about his first months in the Marseille city and the reasons that led him to respond favorably to the advances of Pablo Longoria.
Very active during the last summer transfer window, the OM was reinforced on all lines, including in the cages. While Steve Mandanda is still engaged until June 2024, Pablo Longoria wanted to get his hands on a Younger porter in the person of Pau Lopez (26), arrived from AS Roma in the form of a loan with an option to buy. If Steve Mandanda started the season as a starter, Pau Lopez then gradually moved into the cages, playing 13 of the 17 matches of OM since the start of the season. A successful start for the Spanish goalkeeper, who spoke on his arrival in an interview with RMC.
“When Roma told me they weren't counting on me, I had a discussion with Pablo Longoria”
“I knew Marseille a little bit, of course, by its reputation and because it is a club that has often qualified for the European Cup. When Roma told me they weren't counting on me, I had a discussion with Pablo Longoria. He explained to me the OM project, the Sampaoli game plan, the planned recruits. I also put the question to Alvaro, who I knew from Espanyol Barcelona. We talked about the club, the sports sector, the atmosphere. Alvaro loves Marseille and this Vélodrome so much that I don't know if he was the most objective person! The only thing that worried me was going through a new change of country. I got to know London with my wife, we moved to Seville, then to Rome, with three children now… That was my major concern. If your family is not well, you are not going to be comfortable either, it is a reality, “says Pau Lopez . In the end, the Spain goalkeeper overcame his concerns by signing with the Marseille club, a choice he does not regret today. “I feel very well integrated here in Marseille. I enjoy every moment with a real desire to come and train every morning. I'm having a lot of fun and I feel like I made the right choice this summer, “he admits.
“I knew where I was going”
However, it was not won for Pau Lopez , in the 'shadow of Steve Mandanda on arrival. “I knew where I was going. And I find it very good that the supporters appreciate Mandanda so much. Steve is a legend here. He stayed for many seasons at the very top level, and this change was inevitably shocking. But I take it very simply. I enjoy my daily life. In training, we try to improve each other, and for me Steve is really an example to follow, ”explains the Spaniard, who also admits having been impressed by the atmosphere at the Vélodrome during his first months at the OM : “It's an atmosphere that you don't see elsewhere in the major European championships. There is a bit of this passion in Seville, with Betis and Sevilla FC. But these two stands, these two turns behind each goal, with so many people, madness, entertainment … I couldn't tell you if there is a stadium in Europe that comes close to the Vélodrome. In the championships that I have experienced, it is incomparable. “