French coach Jean-Louis Gasset has been appointed head of Olympique de Marseille, succeeding Gennaro Gattuso. This announcement comes barely a month after Gasset’s dismissal from his post at the head of the Ivory Coast team.
Gasset, who previously coached renowned French clubs such as Montpellier, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux, brings with him valuable experience. He notably led Ivory Coast at the start of the African Cup of Nations before being dismissed following a poor start in the competition. Despite its short stint, the Ivorian team managed to qualify for the round of 16 under the leadership of his successor Emerse Faé.
When his appointment to Marseille was announced, Gasset spoke enthusiastically: “It is a great honor for me to join this legendary club. I can’t wait to start working with this group to prepare for the next matches and give our best. »
His predecessor, Gattuso, was sacked after less than five months in charge, following a 1-0 defeat to Brest which compromised the club’s European ambitions. Since the acquisition of the club by American owner Frank McCourt in 2016, OM has failed to find stability, accumulating coaching changes and crises.
Currently ninth in Ligue 1, OM must quickly get their act together to stay in the race on the European scene this season. The club will face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League next Thursday, with a match that promises to be close after a balanced first leg (2-2).
Marseille, a former giant of French football, must reconnect with its glorious past to regain national and international glory. The pressure is therefore strong on the shoulders of Jean-Louis Gasset who will have to give back to OM the taste of victory and the pride of its supporters.