Barton throws hat in the ring to return to football after former club sack boss
Joey Barton claims he is “ready” to take the reins at former side Marseille after they sacked boss Gennaro Gattuso.
The French side have endured a rotten campaign thus far and have reportedly chosen to sack the Italian after a 1-0 defeat to Brest - their sixth league game without a win. It has left them languishing in mid-table.
Reports have suggested that they have turned to former Montpellier, Saint-Etienne and Ivory Coast boss Jean-Louis Gasset as Gattuso’s replacement. However, Barton has attempted to force himself into the reckoning.
Taking to Twitter responding to reports of Gattuso’s exit, he wrote: “Je suis prêt,” which translates to “I am ready” in English, alongside a blue heart.
Barton spent a season on loan with Marseille during his playing career. He joined the Ligue 1 side in 2012 and went on to play 33 games and scored one goal.
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His spell at the club was not without incident. He joined in the middle of a 12-match ban for violent conduct, while he was also handed a suspended ban for “inappropriate comments” about then Paris Saint-Germain star Thiago Silva.
Meanwhile, he was also involved in an unsavoury exchange with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Barton’s French accent during a press conference has gone on to be infamous. He hailed his relationship with Marseille fans after joining them in the away end during a Champions League clash with Tottenham in 2022.
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"I’ve been fortunate enough to play for some incredible clubs with incredible support," Barton said. "When they ask you and invite you and your children back to be part of a special occasion for them – the first time they’ve had a Champions League fixture where they can attend in I think seven years – and they are prepared to pay for a ticket to bring you there and want you to be part of the experience, I feel incredibly honoured and privileged.
"I don’t think I played my best football in Marseille. I think I played OK but I certainly played better football elsewhere, but I have made a special bond with the supporters. Grey hair and a fat belly now, and the fact they still remember me… I think I scored one goal and was just OK."
Barton’s managerial career is restricted to just two stints in the lower reaches of English football. After retiring at Burnley, he took over at Fleetwood in April 2018. He left in January 2021. Barton was not out of the game for very long as he was appointed by Bristol Rovers only a month later.
The ex-Man City and Newcastle midfielder could not prevent relegation to League 2, but Rovers earned promotion back at the first attempt as the campaign was curtailed due to the Covid pandemic. Barton’s only full campaign saw the club finish 17th in League One.
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