Less than 48 hours after OM’s successful qualification for the quarter-finals of the Europa League, coach Jean-Louis Gasset spoke about the end of the season and in particular the state of his players.
Happy but tired. This is the state of the Olympique de Marseille players, less than 48 hours after a favorable outcome on the Villarreal pitch. Beaten 3-1 in Spain, Jean-Louis Gasset’s men still obtained their place in the quarter-final of the Europa League, thanks to the 4-0 success of the 8th first leg at the Stade Vélodrome a week earlier. The Olympian coach, interviewed at a press conference on Saturday, highlighted the only thing that mattered: qualification.
The French technician also spoke about the state of health of his troops. Which led to a rotation at Villarreal. : “ It’s not on a whim that I put Auba (Aubameyang) or Amine (Harit) on the bench, I felt weariness, fatigue, a risk of injury, so I had to rest them. Tomorrow (Sunday in Rennes), it will be the same for some players », explained Gasset, quoted by The Phocaean.
Gasset chooses not to choose
The management of the workforce, a crucial fact as the end of the season approaches with two objectives: a rise in the Ligue 1 ranking and nourishing European ambitions with the quarter-final of the C1 against the Portuguese Benfica Lisbon. Jean-Louis Gasset was quite clear on the subject.
“ We are in a context where we cannot distinguish between competitions. I understand the importance of the European Cup here, but I also know that the Championship is crucial for next seasondecides the OM coach. So, we have to manage a slightly reduced squad with the hope of recovering two or three players after the international break, which is quite positive. But we cannot favor a competition. »
