“Nietzsche thought while walking too,” said Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli to explain why he constantly paces up and down the touchline. “I analyse things better while on the move.” Following Sampaoli’s arrival in March, Marseille lacked the ferocity and intensity of their coach. Now, however, they are playing with intensity and dynamism, embodying their manager’s snarling, prowling touchline presence. Club and coach are a perfect match and, after years of underachieving, Marseille may have finally found the right formula.
Known as a Marcelo Biesla “disciple”, even if he quietly rejects the comparison, Sampaoli has based his success this season on a gung-ho outlook. It is working, with four wins and two draws from Marseille’s first six games. Their asymmetrical setup falls somewhere between Bielsa’s preferred 3-3-1-3 and Hungary’s 2-3-3-2 formation from the 1950s, with Dimitri Payet playing Nándor Hidegktui’s withdrawn striker role, albeit with a holding midfielder dropping in at right-back when needed. This seemingly unwieldy team has worked perfectly so far this season. All three centre-backs are technical ball-players and the midfield is a fluid diamond full of creativity, while wing-backs maraud down the flanks.
Crucially, unlike previous Marseille coaches such as the aloof André Villas-Boas or the overly business-like Rudi Garcia, Sampaoli’s fiery persona fits perfectly at one of Europe’s most volatile clubs. It was hardly a surprise to see Sampaoli repeatedly losing his cool at the centre of various scuffles after fans invaded the pitch during Marseille’s game at Nice last month. Sampaoli’s frenzied style adds to the South American feel at the Vélodrome, where there is a raucous and cauldron-like atmosphere.
Above Sampaoli, new president Pablo Longoria has aided a shift in tone. The ruthless style of his predecessor, Jacques-Henri Eyraud, infuriated fans and the ensuing protests bred a toxic atmosphere. Last season’s storming of the training ground by ultras was in response to their hatred of Eyraud. Longoria, promoted from sporting director after American owner Frank McCourt dispensed with Eyraud, has brought relative calm and optimism as well as an ambitious squad redevelopment.
Despite suffering financially after the Covid crisis and the humiliating collapse of Ligue 1’s domestic broadcasting deal, Marseille spent big this summer. They splurged €25m on the 24-year-old Brazil midfielder Gerson, giving him a second chance in Europe after a failed spell at Roma; they spent €11m to make defender Leonardo Balerdi’s move from Borussia Dortmund permanent; and they committed to signing Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli for €8m.
This influx of signings was complemented with some high-profile loans. Turkish wide man Cengiz Ünder joined from Roma after a year at Leicester; the versatile attacking midfielder Amine Harit (24) was rescued from Schalke’s relegation nightmare; and William Saliba and Mattéo Guendouzi joined from Arsenal.
This is a crucial season for Saliba and Guendouzi, who are both at pivotal junctures in their careers. Despite this being his fourth season of senior football, 20-year-old Saliba remains a little raw, having had his development repeatedly halted by injuries and Arsenal’s bizarre indecision over his future. The centre-back has a serene, composed style, but he desperately needs consistency and gametime. “Sampaoli explained to me that, even though I’m a good player, I have a lot of things to improve on,” says Saliba. “With him, I will have ways of progressing. His playing philosophy speaks to me.” Early signs are good after a string of assured performances on the right of Sampaoli’s lopsided back three.
Although his confrontational persona has caused issues in the past, Guendouzi seems to have finally found a home at the Vélodrome. His belligerence and all-action style have endeared him to Marseille’s passionate fanbase. The 22-year-old is hitting his stride after a shaky start, playing both as a holding player and almost as a second striker at times. At last, this could be his true breakout campaign. “With a great coach, I know I’m going to improve a lot,” Guendouzi said upon his arrival. “He’s going to bring me on a lot and make me a better player and man.”
With the youngest squad in Europe’s top five leagues, youth is central to a newlook Marseille. American winger Konrad de la Fuente (20) is already embarrassing Ligue 1 defenders after arriving from Barcelona; Boubacar Kamara (21) continues to patrol the midfield having rejected Newcastle’s advances this summer; and 21-year-old striker Bamba Dieng has been a revelation. Although his finishing needs refining, Dieng’s intelligent movement has repeatedly caused issues in recent games. He scored a brace against Monaco earlier this month and hit the opener in Marseille’s 2-0 win over Rennes at the weekend.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Payet has been central to Marseille’s resurgence. One of just three Marseille players older than 27, Payet’s sparkling form has been both joyous and infuriating. Such commanding displays underline his supreme talent, but also the fact that previous fallow periods were due to his lack of application rather than any waning of his powers. Sampaoli deserves credit for cajoling the 34-year-old into such irresistible, swaggering form, often deploying him as an illusive false nine.
Sampaoli has only been in charge for 17 games, so we should not get carried away. Short-term success is not unusual at Marseille. Garcia took the club to the Europa League final in 2017; the team topped Ligue 1 at Christmas in 2014 under Bielsa; and Villas-Boas produced a comfortable second-place finish in 2020. With the much scoffed-at “Champions Project” long gone, Sampaoli’s task is to avoid the implosion that many of his predecessors experienced. Bielsa’s relationship with the club hierarchy quickly exploded; Villas-Boas quit in frustration after the signing of the unwanted Olivier Ntcham; and Garcia became the object of fan ire as the club missed out on European football in 2019.
Sampaoli is as fiery as the club and could still go the way of his predecessors. When Ángel Di María was asked about his time in charge of Argentina, he said of Sampaoli: “He’s a very strange guy. It started very well and it ended very badly.” However, with a youthful, dynamic squad at his disposal, one of Europe’s most vociferous fanbases back onside and a more calming boardroom influence, Sampaoli has a chance at lasting success with Marseille. A goalless draw with Angers on Wednesday night kept Marseille second in Ligue 1. However long it lasts, there is finally a sense that, much like Sampaoli himself, Marseille are very much on the move.
Quick Guide
Ligue 1 results
Show
Lille 2-1 Reims
Monaco 3-1 St Etienne
Montpellier 3-3 Bordeaux
Nantes 3-1 Brest
Rennes 6-0 Clermont
Angers 0-0 Marseille
Lorient 1-0 Nice
Lyon 3-1 Troyes
Metz 1-2 PSG
Lens 0-1 Strasbourg
Talking points
For the second time in four days PSG produced a barely deserved injury-time winner, this time to beat Metz 2-1. Having taken an early lead through Achraf Hakimi, complacency set in for the visitors and Metz kept battling, leading to Boubacar Kouyaté’s deserved headed equaliser. Despite Neymar’s brilliance, PSG struggled to break down Metz’s resolute low block. The game eventually turned when Metz captain Dylan Bronn was sent off for a second yellow. Amid a bad-tempered finish to the match, Neymar’s astute pass unbalanced a tiring Metz defence and Hakimi slammed home a 94th-minute winner. PSG have won all seven of their league games so far this season, but the balance of the team is still a concern.
There was crowd trouble again in the midweek matches. After serious incidents at Nice and Lens in recent weeks, Marseille ultras stormed the pitch to take on Angers supporters at full-time on Wednesday night, while PSG and Metz fans also clashed. Despite fans being absent from grounds for more than a year, the problem of violence in grounds has somehow escalated beyond control. It remains to be seen if the points deduction received by Nice will have any effect. The LFP is losing an important battle at a time when, following the arrival of Messi, Ligue 1’s public image needs to be at its strongest.