Marseille is in financial crisis, and no one is denying it. Since the new president and sporting director took over, the problems began to surface and now they are left alone to deal with the mess created by their predecessors. The deal with UEFA is already in place and the famous club is severely restricted in the transfer market. Since the start of June, we saw a couple of outgoing transfers, and those were all star players, but Olympique have still not bought anybody and that is something even the head coach was not expecting.
Ahead of a tough Monaco trip, Bruno Guenesio had to talk about the situation in the club and even he admitted to be surprised.
“Gregory Lorenzi and the president Stephane Richard reminded us yesterday, we are in a very perilous and very difficult situation. We have to balance a financial situation and respect commitments to the European and French authorities, and also build a competitive team. Fulfilling both conditions is not easy, far from it. As you can see, there is no secret. To answer frankly, yes I knew there were difficulties, but to this extent, I didn’t imagine we would have zero new signings on August 29th and have to sell one of our best players at that time. In football, you have to adapt to many things” admitted the Marseille coach.
So far, players like Facundo Medina, Mason Greenwood, Geronimo Rulli, Hamed Traore, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Benjamin Pavard all left the club, either for a transfer fee, or their loans weren’t’ made permanent. The latest to leave is the club’s captain Leonardo Balerdi, who should complete his medical and sign for Roma in the next 48 hours. Marseille tried to bring in experienced Jean-Clair Todibo from the relegated West Ham, but even that proved to be too complicated. The Frenchman choose to come to Lens instead, where he singed a one-year loan without an obligation to buy. Marseille is going to Monaco without a single signing.
LIGUE 1 – MATCHDAY 2
Friday
Lille – PSG 2-2 (1-0)
/Haraldsson 21, Bakwa 84 – Vitinha 90+1, Marquinhos 90+5/
Saturday
Strasbourg – Lens 2-1 (0-1)
/Yassine 48, 85 – Thauvin 38 pen/
Auxerre – Angers 1-3 (1-1)
/Labeau Lascary 35 – Van den Boomen 5, Djibirin 70, El Ouazzani 78/
Brest – Toulouse 2-2 (1-1)
/Doumbia 18, Ajorque 90+5 – Russell-Rowe 9, Tape 62/
Lorient – Troyes 1-2 (0-2)
/Makengo 51 – Ripart 29 pen, Maronnier 38/
Olympique Lyon – Le Havre 1-1 (0-0)
/Openda 87 – Samatta 74/
Sunday
Paris – Nice 3-0 (1-0)
/Sinayoko 21 pen, Chergui 51, Marchetti 89/
Rennes – Le Mans IN PROGRESS
21.45: (2.40) Monaco (3.50) Olympique Marseille (2.85)
***odds are subject to change***
