Mason Greenwood ‘focusing on club football’ after Marseille move from Manchester United
Mason Greenwood stated that his main focus this season is on playing for his club, Marseille, after transferring from Manchester United. The club's president acknowledged the difficulties involved in the transfer process.
During a press event on Friday, July 19th, Greenwood expressed his comfort at the French team and his eagerness to play at the Stade Velodrome.
He stated that he was not interested in discussing the off-field accusations against him. Marseille then prevented reporters, including those from The Athletic, from asking any further questions about the matter.
United decided not to bring Greenwood back to the first-team squad after facing strong criticism from both the public and internally following a report from The Athletic. Instead, they sent him on loan to Getafe in La Liga, where he was named the club's player of the season.
In February of the previous year, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges against him for attempted rape, assault, and coercive control, stating that a lack of key witnesses and new evidence made it unlikely for him to be convicted. Greenwood maintained his innocence and denied all accusations made against him.
His recent transfer to Marseille for a substantial fee of £26.7million has caused a split among the supporters, with the city's mayor Benoit Payan expressing opposition to the move, fearing it would tarnish the city's reputation. However, upon his arrival on Wednesday evening, he was warmly welcomed by Marseille fans and received a hero's reception.
When questioned, Greenwood responded by acknowledging his awareness of the situation but emphasized his desire to avoid any further debate. He mentioned that he had already shared his thoughts in a statement from August 2023 and indicated that he considers the issue resolved. He also mentioned his joy over the recent arrival of his baby daughter and expressed excitement about the upcoming journey in Marseille with his partner.
Greenwood mentioned that he wanted to concentrate on playing football and spending time with his family off the field. He also noted that the opportunity to work with new head coach Roberto De Zerbi was a major factor in his decision to join Marseille.
Meanwhile, the president of the Marseille club, Pablo Longoria, acknowledged that Greenwood's arrival had sparked numerous inquiries and apprehensions.
"I value everyone's perspective," he stated. "However, I am not interested in engaging in contentious discussions. We are discussing historical events. It is a complicated situation that happened long ago."
"It's time to discuss what lies ahead. I, as president, will back Mason in his pursuit of the club's goals. I will assist him both on the field and off. He embodies the values we aim to foster in the club, just like his fellow teammates both current and incoming."
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Tom Burrows writes about football news for The Athletic UK. Before that, he edited articles for almost three years. He also reported on news and did investigations for national newspapers. You can find Tom on Twitter @TBurrows16.
