Appointed on 20 February to replace Gennaro Gattuso, Jean-Louis Gasset has scored three victories in his first three matches on the Marseille bench. Since 1962 such a start at OM has not been successful.
Recovery is not yet complete for the Marseille patient, but he appears to be on the right track. At its worst three weeks ago, OM is doing better since the arrival at its bedside of 70-year-old Jean-Louis Gasset. After spending three at Shakhtar (3-1) and four at Montpellier (4-1) in the Europa League, his team continued on Saturday with a new success at Clermont (5-1) that allowed them to get themselves back into the league. The battle in the European places, with a provisional sixth place remaining at the end of the 24th day.
With the former Ivory Coast coach, Marseille’s game suddenly regained intensity and impact, with players calm and in excellent spirits, such as the converted Iliman Ndiaye and the regal Jonathan Kloss at Gabriel-Montpide. Proof that his start was more than successful, Gasset became the first coach to win his first three matches on the OM bench in all competitions since a certain Otto Gloria in 1962, who made it five in a row.
“Marseille is not a place where they give you a break”
The name of this Brazilian technician, who died in 1986 at the age of 69, may not speak to young Marseille supporters, but his path is counted in the history of the Marseille club. Appointed in February 1962 when the team was languishing in the second division, he made a stunning turnaround in less than four months and brought them back to D1 before returning to Brazil with his mission accomplished. Having worked for other prestigious teams (Benfica, Vasco da Gama, Porto, Atlético de Madrid, Sporting Portugal), the coach with a thin mustache and cropped hair was able to bring back smiles to OM lovers and charm the velodrome.
What Gasset, after more than sixty years, sought to achieve. “Marseille is not a place where we give you a break and I’m aware of that,” he responded bluntly on Saturday. “If the players gain confidence, we will try to climb the ladder. The win is a good dose of confidence. Everyone is happy and the locker room was happy. We have to continue this progress because everything is not perfect.” The next meeting is set for Thursday with Marcelino welcoming Villarreal in the Round of 16 of the Europa League (9pm).
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