Marseille midfielder Himad Abdelli responded with self-deprecating humour on Instagram to his missed lob against Toulouse, while coach Bruno Genesio, furious on the bench, refused to blame him in his press conference.
On Sunday 1 November, Marseille beat Toulouse 2-0. But one moment stood out: Himad Abdelli’s missed lob over the Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. The midfielder tried to catch the keeper out, without success. On the bench, coach Bruno Genesio made no secret of his anger, according to Dzfoot.
After the miss, Abdelli reacted on Instagram with self-deprecation: “Vaaamos +3, PS: sorry about the lob”. A light-hearted message, while the Marseille coach took care not to blame his player in the press conference, according to Maxifoot.
A miss that got people talking
The move, which came during OM’s 2-0 win, provoked Bruno Genesio’s anger on the bench, according to Dzfoot. In front of the media, however, the coach softened his words. He judged in particular that there might have been a better option, while insisting on the players’ creativity.
“You have to be confident because we score goals, 20 like Rennes, we create chances… What Himad tries, I’m not going to say it’s badly played, because if he scores… But maybe there was a better option. On the other hand, you mustn’t take creativity away from the players, otherwise they won’t try anything any more,” he explained, according to Maxifoot.
Abdelli’s response was meant to be light. Rather than justify himself, he chose self-deprecation, which can defuse the controversy.
Convincing form
Despite the miss, Himad Abdelli has made a convincing start to the season. He has 3 goals in 9 Ligue 1 matches this season and had scored in the three previous games, Maxifoot reports. Statistics that reflect his current form.
According to Al-Ain, the midfielder is enjoying his best spell since arriving at Marseille in January 2025.
Focus on the national team
Abdelli is expected to be with the Algeria national team for the next international window, Al-Ain indicates. Algeria will face Togo on 14 and 17 November, in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Marseille midfielder is therefore expected in the squad for these two matches.