PARIS (AP) — Two coaches in a season. Best player sold. a new president. The sports director resigned Then I stayed. Captain change. A trip to Spain strengthened the team’s bonds.
It has been another chaotic season for Marseille, with the club facing the dire prospect of missing out on the Champions League. Marseille are in sixth place in Ligue 1, with only the top three teams directly qualifying, with four games remaining.
Sports director Mehdi Benatia resigned in February following the controversy. Director Roberto de Zerbi retires launched just to change his mind A harsh attack on the players After Saturday’s 2-0 loss against Lorient. Benatia has lashed out several times in the past, but the same issues persist.
Habib Bey He replaced De Zerbi and lost five of nine games. suffered a humiliating defeat in the quarterfinals of the French Cup. At home in Toulouse. After the game against Lorient, Bey said he was “very angry” and ready to make big changes.
But the loss at Lorient, which came after Bayet took his players on a team bonding trip to Marbella for the second time since taking over, made no difference.
According to sports newspaper L’Equipe, the players have made a complete U-turn and will undergo two training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, and will remain at the Marseille training camp from Thursday until Sunday’s home game against Nice.
So what is happening in Marseille and who is really responsible for the ongoing chaos? Let’s look at some key points here.
live in the past
After a series of poor performances – against Lorient on Saturday. Marseille’s hopes of making the play-offs ended with a 3-0 loss to Brugge on the final day of the Champions League group stage. humiliating 5-0 reversal At Paris Saint-Germain. of sloppy drawing Whether it’s a match at Paris FC or a 2-0 home loss to lowly Nantes, the same phrase is repeated by everyone, whether it’s the players, managers or coaches.
The reason is that the performance in question was “unbecoming” of Marseille, once France’s biggest club.
Marseille, the first French team to win the Champions League in 1993, were previously proud of PSG. the latter won That was last year.
But the harsh reality is that Marseille are no longer a big club in Europe, and historically they are probably not a big club in France either. That’s because Marseille haven’t won a trophy since the League Cup 14 years ago, and haven’t won Ligue 1 since 2010.
After winning a close league game against Lyon last season, the players took a lap of honor and posed for a group photo. It only underlined what a team Marseille are. excessively celebrate personal victories If there are no trophies.
However, the perception that it is a big club still remains strong.
Bad team selection
Marseille’s poor defense has been evident for several seasons now, with central defender Leonardo Balerdi committing countless high-profile blunders. He was responsible for Lorient’s two goals on Saturday, failing to mark the striker each time, and made a similar mistake in the French Cup loss to Toulouse.
Inexplicably, he is kept on the side by Bey, himself a former defender. Bayet stripped him of his captaincy and gave it to midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but this had no positive effect.
Rabiot sales
French midfielder Adrien Rabiot was Marseille’s best player last season, helping the club finish second behind PSG.
He made just one appearance this season before being transferred along with forward Jonathan Rowe. locker room brawl In Rennes.
“When you see that kind of attitude, you can’t let it go,” Benatia said of Rabiot, who was sold to AC Milan. decided the winner on sunday.
Rabiot won 57 caps for France, but his presence and leadership qualities have been sorely missed. Marseille lost their leadership against Lorient, with Benatia even blaming the players for their indifference.
“How many players have come (to the dressing room) after the game and turned over the table?” Benatia said. “Nothing. Everything is clean. The (water) bottles are all in their places. Does that mean I will play in Marseille and accept such a performance?”
But Rabiot was sold for showing some fight, albeit a misplaced one.
high turnover rate
Marseille recently signed Stéphane Richard new president. He will replace Alban Juster, who was in the team on an interim basis to replace Pablo Longoria. Longoria’s tenure was marked by heavy buying and selling of players.
“It’s incredibly difficult for a team to play well when a third or half of the team changes every year,” Richard said in a recent interview. “The first thing this club needs is some stability.”
That didn’t happen.
Teenage prospects Robinio Vaz Darryl Bakola and Daryl Bakola were sold to Marseille in January despite both performing well in the first team. Vaz showed great finishing skills.
Striker Bamba Dieng contributed to both of Lorient’s goals against Marseille over the weekend. He burst onto the scene four years ago with a string of goals for Marseille, including one in the Europa Conference League semi-final against Feyenoord.
He too was sold. ___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
