Marseille’s stuttering starts, from Gerets to Bielsa, echo latest Ligue 1 slump | OneFootball

Beaten 1-0 at Rennes on Friday, Marseille have only three points from four Ligue 1 matches, a worrying yet familiar sight.

According to L'Équipe, the club have endured similarly fraught openings in 2007-08, 2011-12 and 2015-16.

In 2007-08, Franck Ribéry had gone and arrivals Djibril Cissé, Boudewijn Zenden and Benoît Cheyrou could not prevent a false start, three draws and a defeat. Coach Albert Emon was dismissed after a 0-2 loss at Auxerre in late September, Éric Gerets came in and began with a historic 1-0 win at Liverpool in the Champions League.

Despite the early hole, Marseille surged to third and clinched a Champions League third qualifying round place on the final day with a 4-3 win over Strasbourg.

In 2011-12, fresh from finishing second, Didier Deschamps’ side won the Trophée des champions against Lille, 5-4 after extra time. The league start brought three draws then a 2-3 defeat to LOSC, and they were in the relegation places two weeks later as tensions with sporting director José Anigo spilled into public view.

Early 2012 worsened with an 11-match winless run in the league. A Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich, 0-2 and 0-2, offered scant relief, though they did win the Coupe de la Ligue 1-0 after extra time, the club’s last trophy to date.

In 2015-16, Marcelo Bielsa read his resignation letter after an opening 0-1 home defeat to Caen. He had formed the decision over the summer when, in his view, requests were unmet and relations with president Vincent Labrune were near non-existent.

A 6-0 win over Troyes proved a mirage as a third loss in four followed at Guingamp. With Dimitri Payet, André-Pierre Gignac, André Ayew and Giannelli Imbula gone, a weakened side lurched through coaching changes, Franck Passi, Michel, then Passi again. They reached the Coupe de France final, but a 2-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain capped a campaign that ended 13th in Ligue 1.

Source: L'Équipe

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