It was therefore in the locker room of the Jan Breydel Stadion that the Olympians learned the news that had been hanging over their heads throughout an unreal evening during which nothing worked.
Let’s get straight to the point: in the Bruges fog, the Phocaeans were below everything last night, from Roberto De Zerbi’s choices to the general state of mind, including their level, insufficient to hope to reach the elimination phase of the Champions League. A week after being corrected at the Vélodrome by Liverpool (0-3), Geronimo Rulli’s partners, much less successful in recent times, experienced another disaster, facing a fine Belgian team which nevertheless seemed within their reach.
In fact, the Provençaux were dominated in all sectors of the game, and none did well, except for Moroccan international defender Nayef Aguerd, who was far too isolated. The evening began in pain, symbolized by two opposing goals scored in quick succession (4th, 11th), and it ended in a nightmare, following the third Belgian goal (79th). The giant screens in the den, which (too) hastily congratulated “OM and Bruges for qualifying”, completed the bad joke.
“A shitty evening”
In the auditorium of the Bruges setting, the Italian technician, dejected, said: “There is always a little shame when you lose like that, you must not hide. Today (read Wednesday), it was too bad for everyone (…) There is nothing to defend, we suffer from an irregularity that is too obvious. I’ve never experienced this kind of evening. »
The observation was shared on Canal + by Amine Gouiri, disappointing at the forefront: “The scenario is cruel because we missed our match, but we couldn’t count on the others. We had to win or take a point, we are very disappointed. With the match we had, we deserve nothing. »
In the mixed zone, the football director Medhi Benatia, lucid, did not mince his words: “It’s a shit evening. When you are in a club like this, you can lose matches, like you lost in Madrid (1-2), like you lost in Lisbon (1-2). But you can’t lose like tonight (read Wednesday). » He added: “I hope the players are aware that this is professional misconduct. I’ve lost a lot of matches in my career, but rarely have I felt a sense of shame like that. Taking six goals in two matches…”
“I want this to have consequences”
Eliminated from the C1 – although the play-offs were reachable -, beaten at the end of the Kuwaiti night by PSG during the Champions Trophy (1-1, 4-1 tab), the Olympians must now save their end of the year by finishing on the podium in Ligue 1, which will not be easy given the competition. As for the Coupe de France, the oldest French competition is a real objective for the Phocaeans who have not won it… since 1989.
“When you are playing a final like that, important for the history of the club, for continuity, and you do nothing at all and you have players who did not even realize the event, who are walking…” whispered Medhi Benatia, who added: “I want it to have consequences. I hope that between them (the players), they will ask themselves the right questions. That’s what I’m waiting for. (…) We still have a season to finish, with a Cup, which we must go for. »
The reception of Rennes on Tuesday (9 p.m.) during the round of 16 thus takes a decisive turn for the future. But first, OM must bounce back against Paris FC, at the Jean Bouin stadium, this Saturday (5 p.m.). To recover (a little) after an absolute fiasco.
