Ligue 1: Marseille “must work hard, especially defensively,” Bruno Genesio warns

Bruno Genesio did not soften his assessment after Marseille’s 3-2 defeat by Paris FC. The coach described the opening as “catastrophic” and said his team gave the ball away from the kickoff before conceding behind the defense almost immediately.

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We had a catastrophic start.

Marseille repeatedly left too much space for Paris FC, Genesio said, making another result difficult to expect. He pointed to “gross errors,” both individual and collective, that handed the visitors too many opportunities.

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We must work hard, especially defensively.

The coach also criticized Marseille’s work in the air and on second balls. The team, he said, needed greater aggression in those areas and a stronger collective mentality. He acknowledged that Marseille had done some good things with the ball, but argued that the players had sometimes lost their defensive focus.

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No one at the club is under any illusion.

The defeat leaves Marseille with three points after three rounds. The schedule now sends the team to Rennes before a home meeting with Paris Saint-Germain. Genesio said he had warned after the opening match that difficult spells could come, but insisted the squad had quality and could still improve.

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I think there is quality in this group and we will improve it.