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“Talking about the Champions League would be lying to our supporters,” Bruno Genesio urges calm at Marseille

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Bruno Genesio said he felt relieved after Marseille completed a difficult transfer window without signing a player because of restrictions imposed by France’s financial regulator.
  • He said the squad remains coherent, though he had wanted more depth, and plans to give young players opportunities.
  • Genesio rejected Champions League talk as unrealistic, while Marseille president Stéphane Richard set a goal of qualifying for a European competition next season.

For Bruno Genesio, the end of Marseille’s transfer window brought relief rather than celebration. The club signed no players after weeks of struggling with restrictions imposed by France’s financial regulator, the DNCG.

“I’m relieved that it’s over, because it was very long and difficult. We managed to hold firm at the end of the transfer window to keep important players and maintain a squad that remains coherent with what we need at Marseille,” Genesio said.

I’m relieved that it’s over, because it was very long and difficult. We managed to hold firm at the end of the transfer window to keep important players and maintain a squad that remains coherent with what we need at Marseille.

· Bruno GenesioThe Marseille coach described his reaction to the club’s transfer window, which ended without any signings.

The 60-year-old coach acknowledged that he would have preferred a deeper squad, including established Ligue 1 players. Still, he said the outcome was less damaging than he feared 10 days earlier. The lack of new arrivals, he added, should give young players opportunities, while the team can rely on the versatility of several squad members and try different approaches.

Genesio cited left-back Ulisses Garcia, who has trained in a more central role, as one example of the ingenuity Marseille now needs. “We have to be inventive. This is our situation. We have accepted it. In terms of commitment, we have nothing to reproach the players for,” he said.

We have to be inventive. This is our situation. We have accepted it. In terms of commitment, we have nothing to reproach the players for.

· Bruno GenesioGenesio explained how Marseille would cope with a thin squad and highlighted players’ effort.

He also rejected talk of a Champions League challenge. “Talking about the Champions League would be irresponsible. It would be lying to our supporters and to people who understand football,” Genesio said. His immediate aim is continuity in Marseille’s play, despite the club president’s stated objective of reaching a European competition next season.

Marseille opened the season with a 4-0 win over Strasbourg before losing 2-0 at Monaco. The team was due to host Paris FC on Sunday, without injured midfielders Tochukwu Nnadi and Geoffrey Kondogbia.

Talking about the Champions League would be irresponsible. It would be lying to our supporters and to people who understand football.

· Bruno GenesioThe coach rejected ambitious Champions League expectations and called for a more realistic focus on consistency.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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