Olympique de Marseille’s Ligue 1 campaign has begun disastrously following a shock 1-0 home defeat to Stade Malherbe Caen, which was followed by the stunning resignation of coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Speaking in the post-match press conference at the Stade Velodrome, Bielsa began by announcing that he would be stepping down as OM coach.
The news comes as something of a surprise as Bielsa only recent extended his deal with the French giants, after overseeing a renaissance of sorts last season.
While OM ultimately fell short of both champions Paris Saint-Germain and the Champions League places following a late end-of-season collapse, Bielsa was praised for his tactical approach and his management of the club’s relatively limited resources.
He oversaw the development of a number of key, unheralded players and young stars, but has seen his squad devastated by departures this summer.
The likes of Andre Ayew, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Dimitri Payet and Gianelli Imbula have all sought pastures new, leaving the legendary Argentine coach with something of a shadow squad to play with.
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According to Canal+, some inside the club were aware of the coach’s plans, with Bielsa having already indicated on Wednesday that he was planning to step down.