In recent days, the atmosphere at the Marseille club has been very tense, particularly following the heavy defeat in Nantes (0-3). Speaking to the media after a controversial training camp at La Commanderie, Habib Beye kept his comments brief.
This weekend, Olympique de Marseille travel to Le Havre for the penultimate matchday of Ligue 1. And for many on the Canebière, it is time for the 2025/2026 season to end. The players are accused of letting down a club currently sitting seventh in the table and, for the time being, out of European competition next season. Added to this are the high tensions between the Marseille squad and their coach Habib Beye. A situation that is unlikely to have improved during this enforced and extended training camp at La Commanderie. Beye was therefore inevitably the centre of attention when he faced the media this afternoon.
But the former defender, who is usually very talkative, quickly made it clear that he didn’t want to dwell too much on this extended training camp. “We’re here to prepare for the match against Le Havre. That’s why we’re here.” The journalists present then tried to probe a little further, to find out whether Beye intended to give the youngsters a chance in the last two matches of the season, given the professionals’ behaviour. “No one is being sidelined; the youngsters have brought competition and quality. They’re part of this squad, and they’re showing great things in training. If we reckon they’re ready for Sunday, we’ll see.” However, the Marseille manager confirmed that his squad was still deeply affected.
“I’m doing a different job”
“As I said after the Nantes match, we’ve got back to work. I’m in a different role at the moment; I’m focusing on things both on and off the pitch. The squad is in a difficult place mentally, and it’s going to be a tough match against a quality side. What I’ve seen yesterday and today is that, for us to be a team with the right attitude, we need to be a team that enjoys playing together; that’s what encourages me to believe we’ll need to show the same level of commitment on Sunday. We need to understand why that response isn’t there. I’m in a different job because I have to work on the players’ mindsets, but it’s difficult at the moment; it’s taking a lot out of us. On Sunday we’ll have the chance to put all these problems aside, and we’ll need to show a different side to the one we showed in Nantes.”
When asked again about his players’ mindset and supposed frustration during the training camp, Beye was once again brief, but took the opportunity to make clear what he expected of his squad for the final two matches of the season. “I’ve already answered that question: to prepare for this match in Le Havre, we needed to prepare under the right conditions. We need to finish strongly, show pride and self-respect, and prove that we’re capable of demonstrating we can achieve something else; six points is the key objective for the end of the season. The targets we set (third place, among others) are no longer within reach. Giving the impression that we’re finishing strongly won’t make up for what’s happened, but it’s important to show a different side.” We’ll find out on Sunday evening.
The OM players’ growing frustration
The training camp in Marseille is set to end this Friday. The players have not been happy with the methods employed.
Olympique de Marseille is in crisis. In addition to deeply disappointing results following significant investment in the transfer market, the Marseille club must also deal with internal upheaval. Roberto De Zerbi and Pablo Longoria have already left. Medhi Benatia will soon be gone too, barring a last-minute turnaround. The same goes for Habib Beye, who has failed to turn the ship around. Worse still, he is the captain of a sinking OM. As for the players, several are potentially on their way out, with Mason Greenwood leading the way. Despite decent statistics, the Englishman’s behaviour is not to the liking of the club’s management, with whom he is no longer necessarily on good terms.
The same can be said of his relationship with Habib Beye. As explained on our website earlier this week, the Senegalese coach left the training session very annoyed by the performance of his players. Greenwood was once again singled out by his coach. In short, tensions do not seem to be easing in Marseille, even if things have not yet reached the level of Real Madrid, whose dressing room has turned into a boxing ring. But things remain heated at OM, where supporters have decided to stage several silent protests to voice their discontent. At the same time, the management, who are also very upset, have decided to tighten the screws on the players.
Worn-out players who’ve had enough
Indeed, Marseille, feeling betrayed, punished its players following the defeat to Nantes by sending them on a training camp at La Commanderie. Separated from their families and loved ones, the Olympians are getting no special treatment. As explained yesterday on our website, this training camp, which has been extended several times this week, is set to end this Friday evening, if all goes well. Habib Beye will certainly say more on the subject this afternoon as he is due to face the press two days ahead of the trip to HAC. The Marseille manager will also undoubtedly be questioned about the training camp. These methods have not been to everyone’s liking in Provence.
L’Équipe reports this Friday that the players are worn out after a long season and that this is affecting the quality of their training sessions. The sports daily adds that the Marseille players are finding this latest training camp rather difficult to cope with, as it is seen as a punishment. Which it clearly is. Some players in the Olympique squad are also wondering whether OM has the right, particularly from a legal standpoint, to force them to spend repeated nights at the training centre, far from their loved ones. L’Équipe, which consulted a lawyer, clarified that for the moment the French club is not breaking any rules. However, there could be an issue regarding the players’ schedules. They are being kept informed on a day-to-day basis. For the time being, the UNFP has not been involved. And it does not appear likely to be. OM hopes this approach will bear fruit. We’ll find out on Sunday…
