Three defeats in three matches, Genesio openly questions OM's future

Olympique de Marseille collapsed for the third consecutive time in Ligue 1, beaten 1-0 away at Stade Rennais on Friday evening in matchday 4. After Monaco (0-2) and a home defeat to Paris FC (2-3), the Marseille club bears no resemblance to the side that thrashed Strasbourg 4-0 on the opening day of the season.

At his press conference, Bruno Genesio made no attempt to hide his discomfort. When asked about the season’s objectives, the Marseille manager deflected to his board while letting his doubts show through: « I have the objectives in mind, it’s not for me to say them. » A remark that speaks volumes about internal tensions at the club.

The heart of the problem is the transfer market. Forced to reduce its wage bill, OM let several key players leave without recruiting any reinforcements. Genesio described a situation of acknowledged improvisation: « We’ve had to do a lot of improvising so far. It will take time. Will we have it? I don’t know. You can’t ask players from one day to the next to do things they weren’t used to doing. »

These words contrast with the discourse of president Stéphane Richard, who had recently reaffirmed the ambition of European qualification. For Genesio, the promise rings hollow given the resources actually made available.

The fixture list offers no respite for Marseille. Before hosting PSG at the Vélodrome next weekend, OM must first negotiate a trip to Besiktas in the Ligue Europa. A sequence that promises to be daunting for a team in full doubt.