Leonardo Balerdi will have played barely half an hour this Saturday during the match of the seventh day of Ligue 1 OM-Lille. Holder, the defender was taken out by Igor Tudor on a tactical choice. The coach explained after the meeting.
Leonardo Balerdi left the lawn under the boos of the Vélodrome, after barely half an hour of play this Saturday, during the match between OM and Lille (2-1). Established in a three-way defense with Chancel Mbemba and Samuel Gigot, the Argentinian was replaced by Nuno Tavares. A tactical choice, not constrained by a possible injury, which pissed off the player.
“It’s not because he played badly”
On Canal+ after the meeting, Igor Tudor explained his choice. According to him, it came from a fear of a possible red card. “I’m really sorry, insists the technician. Leo is a fantastic player, really. I don’t like what happened. He’s a fantastic person but I felt he had to be taken out. There was a risk of taking a second yellow and I told my assistant that even if we were coming to half-time soon, we had to take him out. It wasn’t because he was playing badly, I told him said by the way, we feared a second yellow.
“I explained my plan to Payet”
At a press conference, Igor Tudor did not escape the recurring question concerning Dimitri Payet’s playing time, not entering the field. “There is always the question about Payet, it’s the joker question (smiles). It’s a bit repetitive. I congratulate those who played today, the attacking trio tonight was very good. Dimitri, Gerson and everyone else are having a good time. There are a lot of games, everyone will be important, especially when we play every three days. I spoke to him yesterday, I explained my plan to him and he said it. accepted. I told him he will play one and not two, so he will start in the Champions League. And I’m sure he will be good, he’s a great player. I see him positive in the training. He also had a calf problem which prevented him from training before London.”