Six defeats in eight matches: Genesio equals 62-year-old OM record

Olympique de Marseille lost 0-1 to Olympiakos at Stade Vélodrome on Thursday evening in the Ligue Europa, suffering a sixth defeat in eight matches across all competitions. A record that places Bruno Genesio in unfortunate historical company.

According to Stats du Foot data, the Marseille manager is the first OM coach to concede six defeats in his first eight official matches since Mario Zatelli during the 1964-1965 season, 62 years ago. The comparison becomes even more painful: the last time Marseille posted such a record after eight games was in 1979-1980, a season that ended in relegation.

Beyond the symbolism, the figures reflect a worrying sporting reality. Since the start of the season, OM has secured only two victories: the opening win against Strasbourg and a laborious 2-0 victory over Troyes last weekend, which was supposed to get the machine running again. The defeat to Olympiakos is also Genesio’s fourth consecutive loss in European competition.

Questioned after the match, the Marseille manager did not hide his distress. “It’s now eight matches, only two victories. It’s difficult to repeat almost the same things after matches. It’s frustrating, a bit annoying even,” he said. While calling for resilience, he looked ahead to the trip to Angers this Sunday in Ligue 1: “Being able to bounce back, being able to accept these difficult periods too and do everything to bounce back as soon as Sunday.”

The schedule leaves little respite for a Marseille squad struggling to find convincing form. The home reception of Olympiakos was supposed to mark a turning point; instead it confirmed the scale of the difficulties. The trip to Anjou now looms as a test of character as much as league position.