Marseille’s squad is being gutted but their manager is staying – for now

A humid night in Monaco provided an opportunity to gauge the temperature of the Marseille supporters. Despite the ban on away fans at the Stade Louis II, plenty were in attendance for their 2-0 defeat in the Principality. There were cheers for their new manager, Bruno Génésio, and boos for Geoffrey Kondogbia, but it was the silence for much of the second half that spoke volumes.

Génésio, who replaced Habib Beye in the summer, has been appointed to keep a lid on things. The former Lille manager has been part of a larger reshuffle at Marseille, with the president and the sporting director also replaced. The new arrivals have inherited a mess. After making promises to Uefa and the DNCG – French football’s financial watchdog – Marseille were allowed to compete in Europe this season. However, if they fail to reduce their wage bill drastically, they will not be allowed to do so next season.

Every single player was put up for sale in the transfer window. This was always going to be a difficult summer and their new sporting director, Grégory Lorenzi, has been open about that, but Génésio has been taken aback. “Did I expect such a complicated situation? Not exactly,” said the Marseille manager last week. “I knew there were difficulties, but I didn’t imagine it to this extent. I never imagined that we’d be in this position.”

Marseille have sold Mason Greenwood, Facundo Medina, Gerónimo Rulli and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the former captain Leonardo Balerdi leaving on loan to Roma. But those sales have not been sufficient for the club to dip into the market themselves; not one player has come through the door. “There won’t be any recruits,” said Génésio on Sunday night. “Three of four more players have to leave us for us to be able to register one or two arrivals”

Could the manager walk? “There is no news on an eventual resignation … for now,” he said before the trip to Monaco. Two games in, the threat is there, though. Despite his links to Lyon, Génésio has quickly endeared himself to the Marseille fans. He is the vanilla manager that their fans have previously turned on. How could we forget the ill-fated stint of Marcelino, judged to have lacked that Marseillais fire and hounded out by fans after just seven games.

When Génésio stepped on to the pitch for the warm-up on Sunday night, the Marseille fans behind the tunnel chanted his name. In contrast, when Kondogbia limped back to the tunnel after having been run ragged by Paris Brunner – who scored both of Monaco’s goals – he was booed. One of the club’s top earners, his exit would have given Marseille more room to manoeuvre in the market.

Instead, it could be Igor Paixão, the most talented but also the most bankable asset in the squad, who is sacrificed. The absence of the injured Brazilian was particularly felt on Sunday Quinten Timber, who could yet also depart, filled in. He is not a winger by trade and it showed. “For sure, when we have an absent player, we are significantly weakened,” said Génésio.

Keyliane Abdallah replaced the Dutchman at the break. The academy product, in just his fourth game for the first team, did not prove an upgrade. Marseille are many things but a consistent developer of young talents they are not. That may have to change. That is one of only two solutions. It is preferable to the alternative. The situation has given players such as Himad Abdelli, Angel Gomes, Amine Harit, Derek Cornelius, Neal Maupay and Faris Moumbagna second chances; they have not shown themselves deserving of a reprieve.

Génésio, however, has no choice. Everything at the club is out of obligation, not choice, and always counter to the club’s competitiveness. The value of this side has plummeted over the summer and so have their prospects. Beyond the lack of strength is a glaring lack of depth. Kondogbia is already on the treatment table and the half-time substitute Tochukwu Nnadi did not complete the match either. Playing in the Europa League will stretch their already thin resources even further.

Through all of this, Génésio’s air of calm could be vital. Just as he didn’t get “overexcited” after their 4-0 win over Strasbourg last weekend, he said that there was “no reason to be worried” after the defeat to Monaco.

Silence fell over the Marseille fans inside the Louis II as the game slipped away from them in the second half. Génésio is trying to turn down the volume. Such tactics have previously proven unpopular among the fervent Marseillais. Not this time. Instead, there is tacit acceptance, a resignation, you could say, although that is a word the fans won’t want to hear coming out of Génésio’s mouth again. At a penniless club, he could be their greatest asset.

Talking points

After years of following his dad around the world, Davide Ancelotti was probably happy the roles were reversed on Friday night. Ancelotti Jr – who has previously served as an assistant to his father – was appointed Lille manager over the summer, his first such role in Europe. Carlo was present at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on the pretext of observing Brazil players Marquinhos, Alexsandro and Lucas Beraldo. The match also happened to be his son’s biggest challenge yet – and against one of Carlo’s former clubs no less – so he could hardly be anywhere else. It proved to be a dramatic night.

As they showed last week, Paris Saint-Germain are not yet up to speed. Having come from 2-0 down to draw with Rennes last weekend, they did the same against Lille. Another sluggish start required another fightback and this one was even more dramatic. Lille took a 2-0 lead when Dilane Bakwa curled a peach of a goal into the top corner, having come off the bench for his debut. The champions looked down and out, but Vitinha scored a long-range goal of his own in the first minute of injury time and then, with the allotted time having already elapsed, Marquinhos headed in an equaliser. It was cruel for Davide Ancelotti, but he is showing promise as he looks to step out of his father’s shadow.

Lyon dropped into the Europa League after losing to Fenerbahce in midweek and, for the first time, Paulo Fonseca is fielding some uncomfortable questions. “I am the best manager in Lyon’s recent history,” said Fonseca. “I won’t say anything else. The numbers are hard to contest.” Their failure to qualify for the Champions League could mean that important players, notably Malick Fofana, leave before the transfer window closes. Dropping two points at home to Le Havre over the weekend deepened the gloom at the Groupama Stadium.