The lights will be on at the Vélodrome on Sunday night, but Marseille face Paris Saint-Germain with an unfamiliar uncertainty hanging over the stands. Two days before the 20:45 kick-off, several thousand tickets remained available for a Classique that is usually sold out well in advance.
The move
Bruno Genesio has acknowledged the frustration among Marseille supporters as his side prepare to host PSG in the final fixture of Ligue 1’s fifth round.
Marseille have won only once and lost four times in all competitions after a turbulent summer. The club, operating under DNCG supervision, made no signings and saw several established players leave.
Genesio said he understood why supporters were angry, particularly at a time when football can carry added importance for people in France.
“When you support a team, it means so much,” he said. “In the current context in our country, it becomes even more important for fans to see their side winning rather than losing four matches in a row. Of course I understand them and I put myself in their position.”
The Marseille coach said the squad felt the impact of the run as well, while praising supporters for their reaction so far.
“People close to me support Marseille and other clubs, so I know what being a supporter means,” Genesio added. “The group understands it too. We are the first people affected by what is happening. Until now, the fans have shown patience, understanding and strong support. I want to pay tribute to them, because things could be far worse than simply not filling the Vélodrome for the Classique.”
The French season around it
Marseille began their campaign with a 4-0 win against Strasbourg, but that result has been followed by four successive defeats.
In Ligue 1, they lost 2-0 at Monaco, suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Paris FC and went down 1-0 at Rennes. Their most recent setback came on Thursday, when Besiktas beat them 4-1 in the Europa League.
Paris supporters will not be allowed to travel for Sunday’s match, yet their ultras still found a way to needle their rivals. At PSG’s Campus training session on Saturday morning, a banner joked that filling the Vélodrome had become as difficult as filling a tank with fuel.
For Marseille, the task is more serious than the empty seats: halt the losing sequence, restore some belief and give a restless home crowd something to hold on to against their oldest opponent.
