Marseille enter a demanding European week with little room to breathe: Besiktas arrive on Thursday night before Paris Saint-Germain await on Sunday, but Bruno Genesio insists OM will not sacrifice one challenge for the other.
Marseille will take Europa League campaign seriously, Genesio says
SEO Title: Bruno Genesio vows Marseille will fight in Europa League before PSG clash
SEO Description: Bruno Genesio says Marseille will rotate against Besiktas but remain fully committed to the Europa League despite Sunday’s match against PSG.
Olympique de Marseille begin their Europa League campaign against Besiktas on Thursday at 21:00, coming off a 1-0 defeat at Rennes last Friday and with the Classique against PSG scheduled for Sunday at 20:45.
Genesio is expected to make changes for the European opener, although he made clear that the side will not be entirely transformed from the team beaten in Rennes. The Marseille coach wants to reward players who have trained well without receiving many chances in competitive matches, while protecting the group through a packed sequence.
“We have been discussing this within the staff for some time,” Genesio said. “There are players who have not had the opportunity to show what they can do, despite giving everything in training. It is time for some of them to have that chance in a match.”
He added that there would not necessarily be 11 alterations, but predicted a balanced selection between players who started at Rennes and others coming into the line-up. Managing workloads, he said, is essential with PSG following only three days later.
Rennes defeat must become a sign of progress
The loss in Brittany has added to a start to the season that has fallen short of Marseille’s expectations. Genesio, however, believes his players must focus on the encouraging elements of their performance rather than allowing the result to deepen doubts around the squad.
He said the coaching staff must maintain close contact with the players and continue the work established since the beginning of the campaign. Results matter at the highest level, he accepted, but Marseille have produced passages of play that deserved more.
“This is not about repeating empty positive messages,” Genesio said. “We have to show that, even if only the result counts at this level, there have been some very good things in our performances that deserved a better outcome.”
Genesio called on the group to stay united during a difficult period and suggested the Rennes match could prove to be a source of hope if Marseille respond against stronger opposition. He believes the team can raise its level against the leading sides in the competition.
Financial limits remain part of Marseille’s reality
Genesio also addressed recent scrutiny of his public comments on Marseille’s ambitions, rejecting any suggestion that he was attempting to protect himself with excuses.
He said he had not spoken directly with the club owner, but had held discussions with the people he works with daily and described the relationship as one built on strong mutual trust. Genesio said he, president Stéphane Richard and sporting figure Greg Lorenzi shared the same understanding of the club’s current position.
Marseille’s first priority this season, he said, was to meet financial regulatory requirements. That process led to departures and left the club unable to make any signings.
Genesio claimed Marseille are the only French team in European competition in roughly the past 20 years to have entered the campaign without being able to recruit a single player. In that context, he called for realism and patience, saying the club must first return to a sound financial path before sporting progress can properly follow.
“I am not trying to open an umbrella or look for excuses,” he said. “I am explaining the situation. I have always taken responsibility as a coach and I will do so here as well, but it is important to put into context everything that has happened at OM recently.”
The coach also thanked Marseille supporters for their behaviour in Rennes, while warning that rebuilding the OM everyone wants may take time.
First target is to reach the spring rounds
Despite the constraints and the looming trip into the PSG fixture, Genesio said Marseille will approach the Europa League with full commitment.
“We will play it properly,” he said. “I have always done that with every club I have coached in Europe. The group works well, is committed and has quality.”
He ruled out treating Besiktas as a disposable fixture because of the Classique, stressing that whichever players start will be selected to compete. The Europa League could also offer Marseille a route back to confidence after their disappointing opening to the season.
Marseille’s immediate European aim is to advance from the opening phase and secure a knockout tie in the spring, either in the round of 32 or the last 16. Genesio said anything less than a full effort would disrespect the work undertaken by his predecessor to bring the club into the competition.
