Olympique de Marseille manager Habib Beye delivered a scathing assessment of his side following their 2-0 defeat to FC Lorient on Saturday, criticising both their attitude and application in a potentially damaging result in the race for Europe. Marseille began the weekend fourth in Ligue 1 but produced a flat display and were punished by a more cohesive Lorient side.
"I am very angry today. About the attitudes, yes. And about the mentality we must have when we are Olympique de Marseille players. That, as a coach, I cannot accept," said Beye post-match during his press conference transcribed by RMC Sport .
The OM boss also suggested that changes could follow, adding that he would "make choices" based on what he had seen. Lorient took the lead through Panos Katseris in the first half before former Marseille striker Bamba Dieng doubled the advantage after the break.
"I saw a team that wanted to win, that played together, that fought for every ball… That is what I did not see from my team today, " he said.
The defeat leaves Marseille increasingly vulnerable in the race for Champions League qualification. They remain fourth on 52 points, one behind LOSC Lille , but could fall further behind their rivals depending on results elsewhere this weekend. Beye warned that failure to react could prove decisive. "If this doesn't give us a wake-up call, then we are not ready to be in the Champions League."
The Marseille coach also opened the door to selecting younger players for the run-in. " If we have to go into the last four matches with young players who have that hunger, we will," he said, before insisting: "As a coach, I will fight until the end."
Marseille face a favourable end to the season on paper, with fixtures against OGC Nice , FC Nantes , Le Havre AC and Stade Rennais still to come. However, their hopes of a top-three finish may now depend more on their response than their schedule. GFFN | George Boxall
