The final whistle on Leonardo Balerdi’s Marseille story had already sounded before he left the city. When he walked out for the friendly against Atlético de Madrid at the Vélodrome on 14 August, whistles followed the Argentine defender, closing a difficult final chapter in a six-year spell that had rarely lacked emotion.
Balerdi, 27, joined Marseille in the summer of 2020 and departed for Roma at the end of August on a loan deal that includes a compulsory purchase option. Speaking about his time at the club, the former OM captain described his bond with the supporters as one marked by sharply contrasting feelings.
“I do not know whether it is fair or not, but it did feel like a love-and-hate relationship,” Balerdi said. “At times I felt that many people loved me, and at other times I felt that some hated me. I used the affection as motivation, and I also turned the other feeling into energy.”
The centre-back had come under regular criticism in recent months, and his final home appearance proved particularly painful. Marseille endured a difficult evening against Atlético, while Balerdi was jeered by sections of the crowd.
“It was hard because I did not want it to end that way,” he said. “But that is not what I will keep from it. I take everything I experienced in Marseille, the good and the bad, because it will help me in the future. Above all, I remember the love supporters gave me across six years. That is what matters most.”
A necessary change for Marseille and Balerdi
Marseille’s financial situation forced the club to part with several players during the summer, while restricting their ability to bring in new signings. Balerdi felt the moment had arrived for a new challenge after an unusually long stay in a game increasingly defined by rapid transfers.
“Six years at one club is a long time. Six years at Marseille is something not everyone manages in modern football,” he said. “I felt it was time to experience another league.”
Roma offered that opening, and Balerdi admitted there was both excitement and sadness when the Italian side made their move. “I wanted to show myself that I could do something different,” he said. “I was very happy when Roma came in, even though I was sad that my Marseille story was ending. I needed a change.”
His early displays in Italy have drawn praise from Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has described Balerdi as a modern defender. For the former Marseille captain, the task now is to turn a turbulent but formative spell on the Mediterranean coast into the next stage of his career in Serie A.
