A year and then leaves? Close to a departure from OM since the end of Andoni Zubizarreta's adventure, André Villas-Boas will have made an impression on Marseille supporters after his arrival last summer to take over from Rudi Garcia on the bench. Marseille club. “We are very professional and meticulous. We will give our lives to reach our goal. This is the word I give to the supporters, I will give my life to put OM at the height of the jersey and the club. The results will speak, "he said at his first press conference.
In a rather complicated context, with a workforce that will not have managed to grab a European place, André Villas-Boas had a mixed start to the season where he was able to set up his game system with three new recruits major players: midfielder Valentin Rongier, experienced striker Dario Benedetto and Spanish defender Alvaro Gonzalez. With nine points taken out of twenty-four possible in August, the OM of Villas-Boas was notably noticed thanks to its victories against Saint-Etienne (1-0) and Monaco (3-4) , so much success against the big teams that the Olympian club has lacked in recent seasons.
Fourteen undefeated streak
After a big slap taken at the Parc des Princes (4-0), the former Chelsea technician recognized that "it's my responsibility, we tried to play offside this week and we paid the price", in mixed zone. But this setback against the Parisian rival seems to have started the Villas-Boas leg that OM needed. Despite an elimination in the League Cup, the end of the year 2019 will have been very fruitful for OM with victories over Bordeaux (3-1), Lille (2-1) and especially against Olympique Lyonnais (2 -1), that Marseille have been unable to beat since 2014 at the Stade Vélodrome.
>> READ ALSO: BOUBACAR KAMARA, FROM OM TO PSG?
“This is an important victory for the club and the city. The atmosphere was incredible. The victory is deserved, said the 42-year-old Portuguese coach. We played well, eleven players, then ten. In addition, we take second place, it's very good. ” If Lyon has taken their revenge by qualifying against OM in the Coupe de France, the men of Villas Boas have chained a series of fourteen games without defeat, which nevertheless ended at home, against Nantes (1-3 ).
With a style of play often considered too defensive or not very flamboyant, André-Villas Boas will nevertheless have succeeded in his challenge: to take Olympique de Marseille to the Champions League, retaining a solid second place and giving playing time to some young people of the training center, including Boubacar Kamara, revelation this season. The passage of André Villas-Boas therefore seemed to have restored the joie de vivre to Marseille supporters, but the beginning of the crisis in the club could already give headaches for next season. Especially since the current health crisis will not allow the Marseille management to greatly expand the workforce.
Read also
- Zubizarreta gone, Villas-Boas on departure?
- Ceferin considers the decision to stop Ligue 1 "premature"
