Football Season Guide

Marseille’s 2025/26 season was remarkably in that it promised much but ultimately delivered nothing at all as OM utterly collapsed in the final weeks of the season, seeing them drop out of the Champions League spots in a devastating financial blow to the club. Marseille have a tendency to implode like no other club in France, but wins over Le Havre and Rennes late in the season salvaged a dire campaign that saw them change managers twice. OM’s problems have continued into the summer. They might have made the promising addition of Bruno Genesio as head coach, but they have failed to sign a single new face for the squad at the time of writing. Meanwhile, the whole attack has been gutted, with key figures Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang departing. On top of this, influential centre-back Facundo Medina has also gone, leaving OM to wonder which way to turn now. The summer has been a disaster for OM. It was summed up in their last friendly against Atletico Madrid, prior to which Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was stripped of the captaincy for not moving to Newcastle and Leonardo Balerdi was jeered after a terrible display. This is a club ready to blow. Marseille’s main strength should be their midfield, but they struggled to be effective there last season. However, the group of players they have, including Weah, Timber and Hojbjerg (who has been linked with a move) is pretty strong. Left winger Igor Paixao, meanwhile, can be a devastating attacking threat. Perhaps the biggest weakness of the club is its habit of self-destruction, which was amply displayed last season as they allowed their shock Champions League exit to develop into a crisis. The squad of players throughout should be strong, but there are legitimate questions as to whether they collectively have the personality to play for the club.