Jean-Louis Gasset appointment as manager 'could be an absolute disaster' for Marseille, says Julien Laurens
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ByOli Gent
Published 22/02/2024 at 21:32 GMT
TNT Sports expert Julien Laurens has said that Jean-Louis Gasset's appointment as the new Marseille manager "could be an absolute disaster". Les Olympiens languish in ninth in Ligue 1, six points adrift of the European places, and Gennaro Gattuso paid the price for poor results as he was sacked on Tuesday. Gasset himself was sacked mid-tournament by the Cote d'Ivoire during AFCON.
Gattuso 'one of the worst managers in Marseille's history' - Laurens
TNT Sports expert Julien Laurens believes that Jean-Louis Gasset’s appointment as Marseille manager “could be an absolute disaster”.
The French side sit ninth in Ligue 1, six points off the European spots, and Gennaro Gattuso saw himself relieved of his duties after just nine wins in his 24 games in charge of Les Olympiens.
Gattuso had only taken the reins in September, when Marcelino was sacked.
Gasset is no stranger to recent chaos, after the 70-year-old was dismissed during the Africa Cup of Nations by the Cote d’Ivoire, who went on to win the tournament.
He was sacked midway through the tournament, after The Elephants had been thrashed 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea.
Marseille play Shakhtar Donetsk in their UEFA Europa League play-off - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - with the tie evenly balanced after a 2-2 draw in Hamburg.
Now, Laurens, speaking on the TNT Sports Goal Show, has said that the French side only sought a steady pair of hands to see out the season.
“I think they were just looking for an interim coach until the end of the season,” Laurens said. “They wanted someone French; that ruled out someone like Christophe Galtier, who they want for next season, who is in Qatar.
“Gasset has accepted a four-month contract, like [Rudi] Garcia did.”
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Laurens revealed his confusion at the state of affairs at Marseille, with many of those in power at the club previously affiliated with Saint-Etienne, a long-term rival.
“One of the directors - the CEO of the club - Stephane Tessier is a Saint-Etienne guy,” Laurens explained. “He worked with Gasset at Saint-Etienne.
"There are a lot of former Saint-Etienne people and directors in Marseille right now, which is quite ironic when you consider the rivalry between the two clubs. But they picked Gasset, who did quite well at Saint-Etienne, taking them to fourth place in the full season he had at the club.
“It doesn’t make much sense, and I think a lot of Marseille fans are not happy. It could be an absolute disaster. I don’t care really, but they’re ninth in the table, six points behind fifth, and they need European qualification.”
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