Coach Bruno Genesio of the French representative Olimpik Marseille, who will face Beşiktaş away tomorrow in the first week of the UEFA Europa League, said that they will face one of the best teams of the tournament.
The French coach, who attended the press conference held at the Tüpraş Stadium where the match will be played, together with defender Timothy Weah, stated that they wanted to give a chance to the players who did not play against Beşiktaş.
Pointing out that his players gave good signals on the field despite 3 consecutive defeats in the league, Genesio said, "We continue to work. As a team and players, we showed that we can be good on the field, even if the results are bad. We could have produced better results. I think we were able to show some good things in terms of the game. Good results will come over time. We are working seriously as a team." he said.
Underlining that they analyzed Beşiktaş very well, the French coach said, "We analyzed our opponent very well. They have very good players. There are important names in the midfield and attack, the defense line is also good. It is a team that enters the game well together with its audience. When I came in 2017, I saw that this team and the fans were united. There were some things that gave us hope in the Rennes match. Now we will play against Beşiktaş, one of the best teams of this tournament. I can say this clearly." he said.
"PLAYERS GIVE THEIR 100 PERCENT, BUT SOMETIMES THIS IS NOT ENOUGH"
Reminding that they faced Beşiktaş when he was coaching Olimpik Lyon in the 2016-2017 season, Genesio said that the black and white fans created a very good atmosphere.
Stating that the dream of both coaches and players has always been to play in such atmospheres, Genesio said, "This is the beloved environment in football. I tasted the atmosphere in this stadium in 2017, but my ears hurt for 2-3 days. It was a difficult atmosphere here. I can say that it was one of the best atmospheres I have seen in Europe. Of course, it will not be easy." made the statement.
Stating that things have not been going well in the team since the end of last season, Genesio said, "We are taking positions in the matches. While we cannot score in these positions, our opponents are giving penalties. I can call this failure and choice errors in front of the goal. The players give 100 percent, but sometimes this is not enough." he said.
Underlining that Olimpik Marseille could not make a transfer this season, the French coach said:
"Imagine a team that participates in the European cups without making any transfers. I think the club should be put on the right path economically. Once this situation improves, sports expectations can be made. We have similar ideas with our president. I just want some time. I do not open an umbrella and hide behind excuses. I continue to do my best."
TIMOTHY WEAH: "WE ARE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME AS A TEAM"
Defender of the French team, Timothy Weah, spoke about Beşiktaş football player Murillo, who previously played for Olympic Marseille.
Stating that he loved Murillo very much and that they met as a family, Weah said, "Different situations occurred due to his departure." made the statement.
Answering the question about the atmosphere in the Beşiktaş stands, Weah said, "I think Marseille fans and Beşiktaş fans are close to each other. They are two teams with the same atmosphere. I hope it will be a good match." he said.
Stating that the match against Rennes, which they lost 1-0 in the league, was very difficult and that they had to recover after that, Weah said, "We now look at it as the past. Now we will play our first match in a new tournament. We have worked hard, we are ready together. We will stand up. We are a family and we will succeed again. There can always be difficult times. We are going through a difficult time as a team. But we give our 100 percent. I love the Marseille fans very much. I feel what they feel. The sun will rise again tomorrow." he said.
Emphasizing that Beşiktaş is a high-level team but that they will focus on their own games, Weah stated that he knows Dusan Vlahovic closely, with whom he played in Juventus, and said:
