PROFILE | Benjamin Pavard must be Marseille’s standard-bearer

When Marseille secured Pavard on loan late on deadline day, the move carried a rare sense of gravitas. “I only wanted to join Marseille,” Pavard said upon arriving at the club – a clear statement of intent from a player whose career had already taken him to the summit of European football.  A World Cup winner, Champions League winner, and former pillar at Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, Pavard arrived with a CV unlike almost any defender OM had recruited in the last ten years.

His start to life in an OM shirt bore proof to that pedigree. Composed in possession, intelligent in his positioning and comfortable across the back line, Pavard initially brought calm to a defence in need of reference points. His integration along with Nayef Aguerd and Timothy Weah saw Marseille embark on a six-game straight winning run.

But Marseille rarely offers a smooth landing. Errors against Sporting CP and Lens triggered a dip in form in November, and the Frenchman would have to dig deep to find his way back. “I had a difficult period with a lot of bad luck. I kept my head down and worked,” he said after OM’s Champions League victory over Newcastle. “I have experience, I’ve been through this before, and I knew things would turn around.” It was a familiar response from a player who has endured scrutiny previously in his career. 

Pavard not untouchable at the Vélodrome

Roberto De Zerbi has gone between publicly protecting Pavard, to demanding more internally from the Frenchman. Competition from Nayef Aguerd, Amir Murillo and Timothy Weah has meant Pavard is no longer untouchable, but the Italian has repeatedly stressed his importance.

The Frenchman is after all an extremely adaptable defender, one that can play across the back three or four, and step into midfield zones or provide measured progression from the right side of the defence. Pavard ranks highly among centre-backs for progressive passing (88th percentile) and expected assists (96th percentile), numbers that suggest he is more of a facilitator than an all-out stopper. His contribution in advanced areas – two assists and a goal in Ligue 1 – is the mark of a defender still capable of influencing games beyond his own box.

At 29, Pavard is not at Marseille to prove his talent. He is there to impose standards. That responsibility has weighed heavily at times and, with mistakes, has drawn scrutiny, but it is also why OM pursued him so aggressively to sign him last summer. 

GFFN | George Boxall