OM-Bilbao: Genesio "impressionné" pour sa première au Vélodrome en tant qu’entraîneur de Marseille

Marseille secured a convincing 3-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in a pre-season friendly match held at the Vélodrome stadium this Sunday. This marked the occasion for Bruno Genesio to make his home debut as the new Marseille coach. It was a very special moment for the 59-year-old coach, who has previously managed Lyon, Rennes, and Lille.

Marking their fourth win to build momentum, OM achieved a convincing success against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday during a preparation match at the Vélodrome (3-1). Delivering an impressive first half with pace and determination, the Marseillais defeated the Basque club thanks to goals from Angel Gomes, Igor Paixao, and the young Tadjidine Mmadi. This allowed Bruno Genesio to have a successful home debut as the new coach of the Phocéan club. It was a very special moment for the 59-year-old technician, who has previously coached OL, Losc, and Stade Rennais.

"When we entered the field, I felt a bit of a chill," confessed the replacement for Habib Beye after the match. "With this music, this atmosphere. It's truly very special here; I experienced it as an opponent and already enjoyed coming to play here. Being on the right side makes things even more impressive. Seeing so many people and such an atmosphere for a preparation match, not many clubs can boast that. That's also why we are here. We do this job to experience these kinds of moments."

"It's not ideal, but we have to adapt"

Despite the significant rotation he implemented against Bilbao, Bruno Genesio appreciated his team's overall performance: "The players responded as we expected, as we've been doing for five weeks of preparation. I saw many interesting things in the content and the mindset, also from those who came on during the match. Our opponent was largely superior to those we've faced before, so it was good material to evaluate what the players have absorbed since our arrival. We are satisfied."

Regarding the transfer window, however, the Marseille coach has to contend with an uncertain future and a limited budget. "It's not ideal; I knew that. Perhaps not to this extent," he admitted. "It's not ideal, but we have to adapt. I am the coach; I have to get 100% from the squad available to me on September 1st. That's my job. Finances, everything surrounding the transfer window, is not my profession. There are specialists for that, in whom I trust. It will be up to us, the staff, to adapt to the squad we have, get the most out of them, and clearly define our objectives."

Following this victory against Bilbao, OM will conclude their summer preparation with a prestigious match against Atlético de Madrid next Friday (5:30 PM) at the Vélodrome, one week before hosting Strasbourg on August 21st for the opening of Ligue 1.