Former Olympique Marseille reserves coach Franck Passi has recalled trials for Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez.

Passi had the chance to sign Mahrez ten years ago.

He told L'Equipe: "We set up a training match on purpose to see him, the reserves against the under-19s, three times thirty minutes. He made a decent match, he was not above the others. I asked to keep him for a week so that we could get an idea. The other two coaches present were of the same opinion, as was the director of the centre, Henri Stambouli.

"We go back to the sports management, who replies: 'No, make up your own mind right away'.

"If José (Anigo) had said 'We keep him', he would have stayed. I had just spent four years in recruiting, we were studying a player over ten games, he would have had to explode in this match for us to keep him. Judging on a single match is complicated. We were wrong."