Photo: Wikimedia Commons (free licence), cropped and styled by SportNestra — author and licence
“Was it really necessary to put ourselves through a European campaign?” After OM’s latest defeat against Olympiacos, that question captures the fatalistic tone in parts of the press. Marseille lost 0-1 in the Europa League on Thursday, renewing debate over the energy devoted to the competition given the options in the squad.
The result extends a difficult start to the European campaign. In their first Europa League match, OM were heavily beaten 4-1 by Besiktas. Two matches, two defeats: the record is prompting questions about the team’s ability to compete on several fronts. The Marseille press is asking in particular whether the squad can shoulder that burden amid sporting and financial constraints.
After the final whistle, the Vélodrome crowd’s patience gave way to boos. Anger was also voiced outside the stadium, according to testimonies gathered by Maritima. One supporter said: “They’re getting cramps in the 75th minute while we’re losing; I’ve never seen that!” Another urged the team to focus on the league and leave the European competition aside.
Le Phocéen summed up the feeling among some observers with the words: “Everyone knew it.” The outlet questioned the value of entering the competition with a limited squad and pointed to a “terrible record”. It also warned that the Europa League could become “an additional burden in an already difficult season”.
La Provence noted ironically that Olympiacos and Besiktas each have 6 points after two matches, while OM have none. The newspaper also highlighted that Timothy Weah’s teammates had several chances to open the scoring or get back on level terms.
The first boos, following encouragement that had previously been well-meaning, marked a change in atmosphere that L’Équipe linked to OM’s “ordeal” since August. A newspaper suggested that the crowd was beginning to grow tired of waiting. One warning remains: squad difficulties must not become a permanent excuse, as some players are expected to perform better.
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