Bruno Genesio sets tone as Marseille head to Côte d’Ivoire for intense pre-season | OneFootball

Bruno Genesio has already set a calmer tone at Marseille, easing in his methods despite a fluctuating squad, as the team head to Abidjan on Wednesday for a condensed three-day tour, according to L'Équipe.

He will face the media at La Commanderie on Wednesday morning with new sporting director Grégory Lorenzi to outline a less toxic era. Medhi Benatia has stepped back and Mason Greenwood left on Tuesday for Istanbul to sign with Fenerbahçe until 2030.

At the early July restart he avoided grand speeches, preferring reassurance. The 59-year-old told players he understands how draining last season was and wants hard work done in serenity. The mood is lighter, with fewer outbursts and less intrusive oversight, and Bob Tahri is absent. Sessions focus on basics, and staff expect major changes by late August.

The squad depart Wednesday afternoon for Côte d’Ivoire, birthplace of Basile Boli in January 1967, on a visit linked to renewing the partnership with the Ivorian Ministry of Tourism and Leisure. The first cycle began in 2023 and ends this summer, and Marseille hope for a three-season extension. New president Stéphane Richard promised in May in Abidjan, just after the league ended, to honour existing commitments.

The programme includes a formal reception on Wednesday evening, a chocolate factory visit and Foundation outreach. They will train twice at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny, with Thursday morning open to the public, then face Yamoussoukro FC there on Friday late afternoon. Club medics in early July proposed yellow fever jabs at La Commanderie or by prescription, noting a 10-day window before travel.

Source: L'Équipe