Marseille’s longest-serving player, Steve Mandanda, started the week by winning his record-breaking fifth goalkeeper of the year award in France. His team-mate, Florian Thauvin, was shortlisted for the player of the year award after scoring 22 goals in Ligue 1 and Luiz Gustavo also capped a fine individual season by featuring in the team of the year. Marseille have made immense progress this season, competing on two fronts despite their severely limited squad, but any mood of jubilation around the club last weekend has been battered by their failure to qualify for the Champions League twice in four days.
Their defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Europa League final on Wednesday felt inevitable. The Spanish side have more resources, more resolve and a coach with more acumen in the form of Diego Simeone. Marseille looked bright in the early stages but, when a big chance came Valère Germain’s way he snatched at it, something you cannot do against such parsimonious opponents. Things went from bad to worse for Marseille when Dimitri Payet suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury that had cast a doubt on his fitness before the final. Payet’s resilience and good recent form had put him in the running to feature in Didier Deschamps’ squad for the World Cup, so he was understandably distraught as he left the pitch.
The former West Ham player was devastated for himself – he has only played in one major tournament since making his international debut eight years ago – but also for his club. After the match he defended his decision to play in the final and proudly declared his love for the club, saying: “Marseille is in my heart and if it is necessary to do it again tomorrow, after tomorrow, in six months, in one year, I would do it without question. I repeat, I love this club and I am ready to make sacrifices for it. I was fully aware of the risks I was taking and I fully assume the consequences.”
While Payet’s attitude is laudable, it could have harmed Marseille on Saturday in their final league match of the season. Going into the weekend, Marseille still had a chance of qualifying for the Champions League, especially because their rivals faced more motivated opposition. Marseille were up against Amiens, who had already secured safety, while Monaco had to travel to relegation-threatened Troyes and Lyon were playing Europa League-chasing Nice.
Marseille, with Morgan Sanson filling in for Payet at No10, quickly took a 2-0 lead, but Amiens made things a bit nervier than the hosts would have liked. Moussa Konaté did well to pull a goal back for Amiens the half hour and their goalkeeper, Regis Gurtner, kept an exhausted Marseille team at bay. Eventually Marseille held on for the 2-1 win, but their efforts came to nothing; Monaco won 3-0 at Troyes and Lyon beat Nice 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at the Parc OL, meaning Marseille finished fourth and had to settle for a place in the Europa League.
Heartbreak, then, was the theme of a week that had begun with Marseille’s players being honoured. Once the disappointment has subsided, the club should look back and take heart from a strong season. They need more depth at centre-back and a top-class striker, but none of their first-choice XI have been linked away from the club and, under Rudi Garcia, they have shown a new willingness to go toe-to-toe with the best Ligue 1 has to offer. The results have not always been pretty – they have earned just two points in their six matches against the top three – but this team are willing and able to play a direct, attacking style of football.
A place in the Champions League would – and perhaps should – have been their reward this season but, rather than focusing on the pain of the last week, their fans should be pleased their side is talented, stable and ready to move forward in a summer in which Monaco and Lyon could once again be picked clean in the transfer window. Marseille are perhaps even favourites to come second in Ligue 1 next year. If this side can demonstrate the conviction shown in Payet’s words, they will experience a lot less of the anguish they have felt in the past week.
Ligue 1 talking points
• While Ligue 1 has long been a breeding ground for young talent, this season has shown that French football can also help develop more established names. Wayward spells in England had seen the stock of Mario Balotelli and Memphis Depay plummet but both are turning heads once more. Depay scored a stunning hat-trick for Lyon on Saturday as they beat Nice 3-2 to secure their place in the Champions League next season. His sly free-kick that slipped under the wall and his cute, dinked finish over the keeper were the highlights in another evanescent display. Depay’s end-of-season form has marked a gear shift from flashy self-indulgence to talismanic leadership. He is back on course to become the superstar he once threatened to be. Balotelli has found a home in France and a mooted move to Marseille could be a defining moment for both club and player. Whatever their futures hold, their goal tallies in Ligue 1 this season – 19 for Depay and 18 for Balotelli – are hard to argue with.
• Although PSG had secured the title some time ago, they still had a part to play a hectic final day in Ligue 1. Caen secured a point at home to the champions, which was enough to keep them above Toulouse, who beat mid-table Guingamp 2-1 to finish 18th. They will now face second division AC Ajaccio over two legs for the last remaining place in next season’s Ligue 1. Toulouse’s victory condemned Troyes to 19th and relegation. Nice started the day in sixth, the final Europa League spot, but their defeat at Lyon meant both Bordeaux and St Étienne could usurp them with a win of their own. Bordeaux’s 4-0 routing of bottom side Metz was enough to pip St Étienne – who beat Lille 5-0 – on goal difference, and join Rennes and Marseille in the Europa League.
Ligue 1 results
Caen 0-0 PSG
Troyes 0-3 Monaco
Lyon 3-2 Nice
Marseille 2-1 Amiens
Rennes 1-1 Montpellier
Metz 0-4 Bordeaux
St Étienne 5-0 Lille
Nantes 1-0 Strasbourg
Dijon 2-1 Angers
Toulouse 2-1 Guingamp
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