To express their dissatisfaction with the current crisis, Olympique de Marseille’s supporters’ groups have opted for silence and indifference. They will not be travelling to Le Havre on Sunday, nor will they be cheering on their team against Rennes the following week.
The crisis is affecting every level of the club. Nothing is going right at Olympique de Marseille, now 7th in the league and well on the way to missing out on European competition next season.
The sporting management, led by Medhi Benatia, seems to have lost all influence as they are set to leave at the end of the season; manager Habib Beye has lost the support of his squad, and the players are thinking more about the transfer window than the pitch. And none of them can count on the fans’ support to turn things around.
The fans will not be travelling to Le Havre
On Tuesday, the main fan groups met to decide on a joint response to the current crisis. This time, there will be no high-profile protest at the Commanderie, nor even banners or chants directed against the management and players. Visibly jaded and clearly disgusted by the situation, the fans of Olympique de Marseille have opted for silence and indifference, according to Foot Mercato.
General strike. Starting with the trip to Le Havre’s Stade Océane on matchday 33 this Sunday. Marseille fans will not be making the journey, so the away end will be empty. To secure a win and keep their European hopes alive, Habib Beye and his men will have to rely solely on themselves. And it seems we shouldn’t expect any better the following week.
A silent Vélodrome against Rennes
For the final match of the season against Stade Rennais, a direct rival for European places, a ‘dead stadium’ atmosphere has been declared at the Vélodrome. No chants, no banners, no entertainment, and it is even likely that many supporters will stay away from the stands, as our colleagues report that “members who wish to do so may attend individually”.
Foot Mercato notes, however, that “the situation could change in the coming hours”. With intervention from the club’s management? It seems unlikely that the latter will manage to convince the various supporter groups, who are determined to send a strong message to the players, humiliated by Nantes (0-3) last week. Will this spur them on to react on the pitch? Hard to imagine…
Transfer news: things are starting to heat up for Lepaul!
Having impressed at Rennes, Estéban Lepaul has caught the eye of several major clubs abroad. His performances have particularly caught the attention of Atlético Madrid and Napoli.
It wasn’t enough to secure a win for Rennes, but Estéban Lepaul found the net again this weekend, on Matchday 32 of Ligue 1, during the clash against Olympique Lyonnais (2-4). Having scored 10 goals in his last 12 matches, the 26-year-old striker just can’t stop scoring.
Lepaul is on course for the Ligue 1 top scorer title
At the Groupama Stadium, Lepaul scored his 19th league goal of the season and extended his lead at the top of the scoring charts. With two games remaining, the Rennes forward is now three goals ahead of Joaquin Panichelli (Strasbourg), who is out for the rest of the season, and has extended his lead over Mason Greenwood (Marseille) to four goals.
Fifth in Ligue 1, two points behind the top four, Rennes are capitalising on their striker’s fine form to join the race for Champions League qualification. But the Breton club also knows that their centre-forward’s success spells a potentially turbulent summer transfer window.
Atlético and Napoli in the running
Unsurprisingly, Lepaul’s excellent performances have not gone unnoticed abroad. Several European clubs have expressed an interest in the Frenchman and could come forward with offers this summer. This is particularly the case for Atlético Madrid and Napoli, according to Foot Mercato.
Aware of the growing interest in the former Angers player, who arrived last summer from Angers for €13.5 million, Rennes are keen to secure their striker’s future by offering him a contract extension with a pay rise. It remains to be seen whether this offer will be enough to convince Lepaul to turn down the approaches expected this summer.
