Marseille were left with another bitter night after a 2-1 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and Bruno Genesio did not hide the sense that familiar errors had again decided the contest.
The Olympique de Marseille coach felt his side had competed well before the interval but lost control after the break, despite finding a route back into the match. PSG’s winning goal, however, came from a situation that has become a recurring concern for the Marseille staff: a second ball following a set piece.
Genesio rues repeated defensive mistakes
Genesio said Marseille’s problems were not new. “It is the same issues and the same consequences,” he said after the match. “We concede another goal from a second ball after a set piece because we are not alert enough.”
He believed Marseille’s opening 45 minutes had been encouraging, but said the performance dropped significantly after the restart. The hosts spent longer defending and were unable to reproduce the control they had shown in the first half.
Marseille did level the score, an effort Genesio described as far from straightforward, but the coach felt the team lost concentration soon afterwards. He suggested the players may still have been caught in the emotion of their comeback when PSG struck again.
“It is very frustrating to allow a goal like that,” Genesio said. “We are not learning from our mistakes quickly enough.”
Commitment praised, but penalty-box work questioned
The Marseille manager refused to question his squad’s attitude or effort. He said he had little to criticise in those areas since the start of the season.
His concern instead lies in both penalty areas, particularly Marseille’s defending close to goal. Genesio said his team are conceding too many goals that could have been prevented, an issue he believes must be corrected if the club are to improve their position.
Paixao and Harit assessed
Genesio also provided an initial update on Igor Paixao and Amine Harit after both players left the pitch.
Harit appeared to be suffering from cramp, with Genesio indicating that the issue did not look serious. The assessment of Paixao was less clear, although the coach said the early indication was a problem involving the ankle and that further checks were still needed.
Coach to speak with Marseille hierarchy
Questions over Genesio’s future inevitably followed another damaging result. The coach acknowledged that results shape a manager’s position, particularly at a club carrying Marseille’s expectations.
“Everyone wishes me good luck,” he said. “I am a coach, so naturally we are tied to performances and results, even more so at a club like Marseille.”
Genesio accepted his share of responsibility for a situation he called inadequate, but said he would first take time to process the defeat before discussing matters with his staff and the club’s directors.
“It is not normal for Olympique de Marseille to be in this position,” he said.
