Last weekend, the Olympique de Marseille suffered a defeat against OL, marked by the expulsion of the young defender Coнrad-Jadeн Egan-Riley for a fault in the position of last defender. This sanction led the LFPa disciplinary commission to impose a firm suspension match and a suspended match on Egan-Riley, preventing him from competing in the next match against FC Lorient. This absence is a hard blow for OM, especially as coach Roberto De Zerbi seeks to refine his central defence. However, the club can count on the arrival of important reinforcements, including Benjamin Pavard and Nayef Aguerd, which offer additional depth to the workforce and could help manage European deadlines.

At the same time, Argentine defender Léo Balerdi is going through a difficult period, apparently affected by a missed transfer to the Juventus Turin. Italian sources evoke frustration associated with this withdrawal, affecting its performance on the ground. However, this information is not shared in the same way in France, where it is said that Balerdi remains fully engaged in the Marseille project and has never requested his departure. Despite this, the player must regain his best level to bring the defensive stability that OM needs. The international truce could offer him an opportunity to regain confidence with Argentina and return to Marseilles with a renewed morale.

The summer was marked by an important renewal of the Marseille workforce, with 12 arrivals and 14 departures. Jean-Pierre Papin welcomes this recruitment policy, considering that it offers OM one of its best groups in recent history. New recruits such as Benjamin Pavard, Matt O’Riley and Nayef Aguerd are able to raise the club’s ambitions both in Ligue 1 and in the Champions League. Papin insists that success depends not only on the names on the match sheet, but on De Zerbi’s ability to transform this group into a competitive and coherent team. He called for time for the project so that the Italian coach could find the right formula and achieve the objectives set.