Inside Marseille’s bleak Bruges night after Champions League exit as Benatia rages, Kondogbia calls for humility | OneFootball

Marseille were eliminated from the Champions League after a 0-3 defeat at Club Bruges, then endured a bleak, drawn-out night at Jan-Breydel. According to L'Équipe, the mood sank further as players tracked an improbable Anatoliy Troubine goal on their phones in a hushed dressing room.

In stark concrete corridors lit by neon, Roberto De Zerbi kept his counsel, later facing the media with a sombre tone before leaving quietly. Directors pored over the standings while the under-16s squad learned the scenario in the press room.

The delegation’s slow exit unfolded around midnight, with only two fans behind barriers requesting a photo from Medhi Benatia. Most players had gone in mini-vans, while anglophones waited on wet tarmac among police vans and lorries, Timothy Weah on the phone, CJ Egan-Riley hood up, Mason Greenwood staring into the distance. Bob Tahri marshalled vehicles until 1am.

Benatia, beanie pulled low, railed at what he termed a professional fault and a miserable night, openly criticising the squad. Geoffrey Kondogbia remained measured, saying talk of shame was excessive, that chances had been created, and that humility and hard work were required. De Zerbi departed earlier without addressing the group beyond his customary post-defeat silence.

The squad now head to Clairefontaine for their first extended camp of the season before visiting Paris FC on Saturday at 17:00. A close associate of a senior player stayed away post-match, such was the dejection. For a team living with sharp swings this season, this fall felt especially bruising.

Source: L'Équipe