Habib Beye: Olympique Marseille coach reacts to Europa League qualification

Olympique Marseille Senegalese manager Habib Beye has expressed delight over the club’s 3-1 victory over Rennes on Sunday.

A goal each by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Amine Gouiri and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang gave OM a Europa League spot next season.

Beye expressed his satisfaction at the end of a successful season, highlighted by a fine European reward for the Marseille club.

When asked about his future, the manager preferred to put an end to the speculation, emphasizing the team’s collective effort and the objectives achieved by his squad.

“As I just said, I have too much credit for what the players have done. My future is irrelevant.

“What’s important is that this club has qualified for European competition. In various leagues, some big teams won’t be participating in the European competition they were aiming for.

“Tonight, the objective has been achieved. By winning, Rennes qualified for the Europa League. Today, we can consider that tonight’s result is very difficult for them to accept. I’m focused on what we’ve accomplished,” he said after the game.

Having arrived mid-season, Beye also reflected on his experience on the Marseille bench and the difficulties he encountered upon his arrival.

“I thought I was coming to coach, to do my job as a manager every day.

“What will enrich me is that I’ve done something different; I’ve helped heal both bodies and minds.

“When we arrived, we discovered a group struggling because of what they had been through.

“We tried to give them as much belief as possible. We were always playing catch-up.

“Right to the end, we were all together on the pitch, in the locker room; we didn’t want to let them down. It’s a source of pride to have been able to stay with my players until the end and finish on a positive note.

“No one can take that away from me. I thanked my players for their commitment. That’s also where my satisfaction lies.

“The quality is there; we had to fight against a lack of confidence.

“What they had been through had really drained them. You feel like everything is against you,” he added.

Olympique Marseille’s 3-1 victory over Rennes helped them finish 5th on the log with 59 points, just one point behind the Champions League qualification spot.

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