Andre Villas-Boas has handed in his resignation at Marseille because the club signed Olivier Ntcham on loan from Celtic without asking his permission. The ex-Tottenham and Chelsea boss stunned journalists when he revealed he wants to quit the club during a press conference this lunchtime.
“I haven’t heard back from the board yet about my offer to resign,” he said.
“I just want to leave Marseille. I am not asking anything else from the board.”
Ntcham joined Celtic from Manchester City for £4.5million in 2017.
However, he struggled to nail down a spot in Neil Lennon’s starting XI so was shipped out to Marseille on loan, with an option to buy.
Villas-Boas is fuming with the decision and has wants to step down from his position.
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“Now I am focused on Lens. For me they are the team of the year.
“Our preparation won’t be ideal but we’ll just keep going until the management tells me to leave.”
Marseille’s ultras stormed the training ground over the weekend and caused their match with Rennes to be called off.
Villas-Boas insists that incident has nothing to do with his decision to quit.
He said: “It has nothing to do with the weekend incidents, it’s to do with the sporting side of things.
“Even the departure of Nemanja (Radonjic) I was only informed about in the evening.
“I’m waiting for a response from the management and if it’s a no (to the resignation) then we continue.
“I repeat, I don’t want any money I just want to leave. I want to be clear with you.
“I have an emotional connection with France, with Provence, with Saint-Victoire.
“I love OM but when you give me someone whose characteristics are nothing like the one who left…
“I have a lot of respect for Jacques-Henri (Eyraud, Marseille president) who is sorting out the TV rights problem.
“But this is a matter of my professionalism.”
Ahead of Ntcham’s move to Marseille, Lennon said: “I have spoken to Oliver over the two years since I have been here.
“I think he is looking for a fresh start or to progress his career elsewhere and he’s made that clear over a long period of time.
“I wouldn’t be overly surprised if he left.”