The center-back faced challenges at the start of his time in Ligue 1, but now he captains the club and dreams of winning the World Cup.
Leonardo Balerdi laughs as he recounts the time when a police van stopped his car in Marseille, sirens blaring, and four officers jumped out to shout and sing “Allez l’OM!” before driving off. “It was an ordinary day, but it was fantastic. I thought: OK, I’m good here now,” he says with a smile. Marseille is a city deeply passionate about its football team. This intense fervor can be both uplifting and burdensome, and Balerdi has experienced both aspects.
Early in his Marseille days, a supporter staged a hunger strike outside the club’s training ground, protesting his continued presence in the team after errors in defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Annecy. “I learned and grew a lot mentally during these years,” says the 26-year-old. “No matter what happened, I knew I couldn’t let it affect me too much.”
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