Marseille has parted ways with manager Gennaro Gattuso after his five-month tenure, according to a source familiar with the decision, reported by The Associated Press on Monday.
Jean-Louis Grasset, the former assistant coach at Paris Saint-Germain, who returned from Ivory Coast during the Africa Cup of Nations, is set to assume managerial duties at Marseille until the conclusion of the season, as per a source cited by ESPN.
Gattuso’s dismissal came on the heels of Marseille’s 1-0 defeat to 10-man Brest in the league, a loss that dealt a blow to the club’s aspirations of securing a European competition berth for the following season.
“We’ve hit rock bottom,” Gattuso told a postmatch news conference after Sunday’s defeat. “When you hit rock bottom, you have to take responsibility. It’s my responsibility. There is nothing else to say. The table? The truth is that we’re going to have to start looking behind us. We can no longer speak about Europe. We just need to take the necessary points to be calm in the standings.”
Marseille and Gattuso are currently engaged in legal proceedings to finalise their separation, with the club already searching for a successor, as per the individual familiar with the matter, speaking anonymously due to the club’s yet-to-be-announced confirmation of Gattuso’s departure.
Marseille currently occupies the ninth position in the standings after 22 matches, trailing league leaders PSG by a margin of 23 points.