Genesio says he is not “worn out” and refuses to settle for defeat

“I’m not worn out, and I’m not whining”: Bruno Genesio set the record straight about his state of mind on Friday, with Olympique de Marseille due to travel to Troyes two days later for the sixth round of Ligue 1. The coach also explained his reaction to the defeat against PSG before the international break.

Genesio disputed the suggestion that he had looked exhausted after the loss. “I know a lot of people told me I looked worn out. But no, I was angry,” he said. What irritated him, he went on, was the feeling that the general mood was satisfied with a defeat by only 2-1 against Paris.

“I wasn’t depressed, I was more annoyed,” he insisted. The coach also rejected the idea of being content simply to have avoided a heavy defeat. “Maybe everyone thought we were going to be humiliated or ridiculed, and in the end we avoided the worst. But that is not my state of mind,” he said, adding that he had not come to OM to adopt that attitude.

He also stressed that this standard does not depend on the club where he works: “When you work in elite football as a player or a coach, you do it to win matches.” Genesio said he was disappointed for his players, who, in his view, “gave a lot and did a lot of good things.” He nevertheless believes the team was hurt by recurring small details that it needs to improve on more quickly.

The defeat to PSG, a 1-2 result before the break, had been described by some as encouraging, despite the loss. Genesio’s players had nevertheless been warned they would face “hell.” For the coach, that interpretation does not change the demand for results. “I don’t like the word whining because it would infantilise me,” he said, before assuring reporters that he was doing well.

The immediate task is Sunday’s trip to Troyes: Genesio is looking for a win, not consolation from the previous match.