Genesio nearly left OM this summer, Richard confirms breaking point

Bruno Genesio nearly failed to finish the summer on Olympique de Marseille’s bench. President Stéphane Richard confirmed it publicly, evoking a grueling summer transfer window that pushed the Marseille coach to the brink of a breakdown with his board.

“We weren’t far from a breaking point,” Richard said, who succeeded Pablo Longoria at the helm of the club. Without Genesio having made an explicit threat of resignation — “Bruno doesn’t use that kind of language, he doesn’t blackmail,” the president clarifies — tension had genuinely reached a critical threshold. The issue that crystallized the tensions: the Igor Paixao case, whose departure seemed inevitable at one point before principal shareholder Frank McCourt decided in favor of keeping him.

“I threw all my strength into the battle to keep Igor. But ultimately, it’s Frank McCourt’s decision. He made the necessary efforts,” Richard detailed, relieved to have preserved the unity of the sporting project.

On the economic front, the transfer window’s balance sheet remains mixed. OM recorded no arrivals and sold or loaned out eight players, reducing its wage bill by 30 to 35%. Insufficient, however, to fully satisfy the requirements of the National Management Control Authority (DNCG). “We didn’t reach the objectives if we reason in terms of the 2026-2027 season’s wage bill. We’re not there, but we did the maximum based on the market. You have to be able to sell, and we didn’t want to give away players,” the president acknowledged.

To make up part of the wage deficit, Richard mentions ongoing negotiations with three or four players regarding contract extensions with salary reductions. He says he is encouraged by the dressing room’s spirit: “There’s a change in spirit among the players. I really like that.”

Despite the turbulence, Richard reaffirms his total confidence in Genesio, whom he says he personally chose. “I went to get him. I don’t come from football, but I thought about it, I discussed it with many people, and I arrived at Bruno’s name. He radiates a sense of calm, seriousness, and he is ambitious, very intelligent. I’m pleased he is here.”