Marseille Manager Confirms Midfielder Højbjerg Stripped of Captaincy by Club Decision
Olympique de Marseille manager Bruno Genesio has disclosed that the club’s management ordered him to remove Pierre-Emile Højbjerg from his captaincy role following the midfielder’s refusal to move to Newcastle United.
During Friday night’s 2-1 friendly loss to Atlético de Madrid at the Stade Vélodrome, it was Timothy Weah who donned the captain’s armband instead of Højbjerg.
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Addressing the media after the match, Genesio clarified that the choice was not made by him and openly expressed his disagreement with the decision.
“It’s a decision that was dictated to me by the club’s management. If I want to be completely frank, and I will be, it’s not a decision that I agree with. But I’m an employee, I have to comply with certain obligations. We did it,” Genesio stated.
The decision comes in light of ongoing tensions between Højbjerg and Marseille’s leadership concerning his future with the club. According to reports from RMC Sport, Marseille officials were displeased with Højbjerg’s choice to turn down a transfer to Newcastle earlier in the week.
Negotiations between the two clubs were close to concluding, with an agreement worth around €15 million anticipated as Marseille sought to facilitate the transfer to help in their financial recovery and lower their wage bill this summer.
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Højbjerg’s refusal to move ultimately resulted in the collapse of the deal, leaving Marseille without the expected transfer fee and missing out on substantial savings from one of their higher salaries.
Genesio’s remarks highlight the depth of the discord within the club, as the Marseille coach publicly distances himself from the decision to pass the captaincy to Weah.GFFN | George Boxall
Olympique de Marseille manager Bruno Genesio has revealed that the club’s hierarchy ordered him to strip Pierre-Emile Højbjerg of the captaincy following the midfielder’s refusal to join Newcastle United.
Højbjerg started Friday night’s 2-1 friendly defeat against Atlético de Madrid at the Stade Vélodrome, but it was Timothy Weah who wore the captain’s armband for the encounter.
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Speaking after the match, Genesio made clear that the decision had not been his own and openly admitted that he disagreed with the move.
“It’s a decision that was dictated to me by the club’s management. If I want to be completely frank, and I will be, it’s not a decision that I agree with. But I’m an employee, I have to comply with certain obligations. We did it,” Genesio told reporters following the game.
The change comes amid tensions between Højbjerg and Marseille’s hierarchy over his future at the club. As reported by RMC Sport, OM were angered by the Denmark international’s decision to reject a move to Newcastle United earlier this week.
An agreement worth around €15m had been close between the two clubs, with Marseille keen to sanction the departure as they continue attempts to raise funds and reduce their wage bill this summer.
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Højbjerg’s refusal ultimately saw the deal collapse, depriving Marseille of both the prospective transfer fee and significant savings on one of the club’s larger salaries.
Genesio’s comments now underline the extent of the disagreement behind the scenes, with the Marseille coach publicly distancing himself from the hierarchy’s decision to hand the armband to Weah.GFFN | George Boxall
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