Marseille at Marbella: A needed tonic before the Olympico
Under the Andalusian sun, Olympique de Marseille stepped away from the noise that so often surrounds the club.
Following the 2-0 defeat away to Brest and the recent arrival of head coach Habib Beye, the squad travelled to Marbella for a five-day training retreat designed to reset both physically and mentally before the Olympico against Olympique Lyonnais.
The objective was clear: restore intensity, rebuild confidence and strengthen bonds within a group entering a crucial phase of the season.
Intensity and tactical work
Training sessions at the Marbella Football Center were deliberately demanding.
Beye introduced new drills and a renewed emphasis on tempo and intensity, two qualities that had faded in recent performances. The daily programme combined muscular preparation in the mornings with tactical work later in the day as the coach began to imprint his ideas on the squad.
The former Senegal international also took time to explain his principles to the players after taking charge in urgent circumstances ahead of the trip to Brest.
Crucially, Beye insisted that competition for places is open for the run-in.
Every player, he stressed, has a role to play between now and the end of the season. The message was that a fresh chapter had begun — and with it, fresh opportunities.
Experiments on the training pitch included variations around a 4-2-3-1 structure, with a focus on quicker transitions, tighter defensive lines and a more aggressive press.
One player who caught the coach’s eye during the week was winter signing Tochukwu Nnadi, who has yet to make his competitive debut but impressed during the camp.
“He brings a lot of impact and speed. He’s a very interesting player,” Beye said. “His week in Marbella was of very good quality.”
A mental reset
Yet the retreat was not only about tactics.
Marseille’s training base was closed to supporters and media, allowing the squad to work in privacy while also stepping away from the daily pressure of the club’s La Commanderie headquarters.
The setting offered recovery facilities, medical treatment areas and even a pool for regeneration sessions — but just as important were the moments away from football.
Players took part in outdoor team-building activities, while several relaxed group dinners were organised during the stay. One evening involved only the coaching staff, while another was reserved exclusively for the players.
According to staff members, the aim was simple: break the routine and rebuild collective energy.
Beye himself was encouraged by what he saw. “It went very well. These are privileged moments,” he said before the Olympico. “There were lots of smiles and the players spent time together. That’s very important.”
Echoes of Rome
For observers of Marseille’s recent history, the Marbella trip carried echoes of another pivotal retreat.
Last season, under former coach Roberto De Zerbi, the squad travelled to Rome during a turbulent period after reports of dressing-room tensions and a difficult run of results. That “ritiro” — a practice more common in Italian football — ultimately helped the group reconnect.
Ping-pong tournaments, rooftop barbecues and quieter training sessions away from Marseille’s intense spotlight helped restore unity. The result was an extraordinary late surge that secured Champions League qualification.
The Marbella camp was conceived in a similar spirit.
Like Rome before it, the idea was to step outside Marseille’s emotional whirlwind, allowing players and staff to reconnect and refocus on their shared objectives.
Retreat followed by Olympico drama
The immediate test came on Sunday night at the Stade Vélodrome, where Marseille hosted Lyon in one of Ligue 1’s most intense fixtures.
OM conceded early but responded with aggression and intensity, eventually securing a dramatic 3-2 victory in front of a fervent home crowd.
One of the decisive moments came after half-time when Igor Paixão, introduced after Quinten Timber suffered a shoulder injury, produced a superb strike to swing the match in Marseille’s favour.
After the final whistle, Beye praised the response from his players following the demanding week in Spain. “It’s a great satisfaction for my players,” the Marseille coach said. “They made a lot of effort this week in training to be ready for this big match.”
While the victory offered a major boost ahead of the run-in, Beye was careful to keep expectations measured. “We want to install a dynamic,” he said. “The future will tell us if we are a different team.”
For Marseille, however, the early signs suggest that a few days in the Andalusian sun may have provided exactly the spark they needed.
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