Former Marseille goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta has called for the club to appoint Bruno Genesio as its next manager and suggested a sale to new ownership, including luxury group LVMH, should be considered. Olmeta, a European champion with the club in 1993, made the comments in an interview with La Provence, expressing frustration with the current instability at the Ligue 1 side.
Olmeta identified Genesio, currently without a club after leaving Rennes last year, as the ideal candidate to take charge this summer. "You need to take a French coach, like Bruno Genesio," Olmeta said. "He knows several clubs and it has always worked well. He knows how to manage a group 100%, with all the side issues. Because Marseille, it's particular..." Genesio has extensive experience in France, having managed Lyon for over three years and later guiding Rennes to a fourth-place finish and Europa League qualification.
The former shot-stopper's intervention comes amid a period of persistent turmoil for Marseille. The club is on its fourth permanent head coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, this season alone and is set to miss out on Champions League qualification for the second consecutive year, currently sitting ninth in Ligue 1. Owner Frank McCourt has faced significant criticism from supporters for the club's perceived lack of sporting ambition and strategic direction.
Olmeta's comments extended beyond the dugout to the very ownership of the club. He questioned the current trajectory, asking, "How can you not talk about the Champions League every year? Until when is this going to last?" He then proposed a radical solution: "Basta! If the club needs to be sold, sell it! LVMH bought Paris FC, but I'm sure they would have been interested in OM." The reference to the luxury conglomerate buying into Paris FC, a Ligue 2 club, underscores Olmeta's desire for ambitious, deep-pocketed investors to rival the dominance of Paris Saint-Germain.
Marseille's immediate focus remains on securing European football through their league position, but the impending summer promises significant changes. The managerial position is expected to be vacant, and pressure is mounting on McCourt to either invest substantially or explore a sale. Olmeta's public airing of these frustrations reflects a growing sentiment among the club's legends and fanbase, who are demanding a return to the elite level of French and European football.
