Cyrille de la Morinerie, edited by Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: Jose Breton / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP 3:30 p.m., October 24, 2024
This is a new feat for Losc in the Champions League. Trailing 1-0 at the hour mark on Wednesday evening on the pitch of Atlético de Madrid, Lille came back from nowhere thanks to their Kosovar winger Edon Zhegrova and a double from Jonathan David (including a very generous penalty), to finally win 3-1. A lesson in efficiency with three goals scored for only three shots on target in the space of 30 minutes.
This new great performance, three weeks after the resounding victory against Real Madrid, Lille owes it above all to its coach Bruno Genesio, decidedly very strong when he faces legends from the sidelines. It shows that you can become one of the best coaches in Europe having been an “average” player and after a difficult start in the technician profession.
Bruno Genesio, the coach who beat Gardiola, Simeone, Mourinho and Ancelotti
Few remember it but the Losc coach did not experience success immediately, notably being sacked by Besançon, a fourth division club during his first steps as coach. Then, the Lille technician was mocked and unfairly criticized in Lyon (reserve coach then main coach of the club) and ironically nicknamed “Pep Genesio”, in reference to his idol, the Catalan Pep Guardiola.
The Lille coach is now showered with praise. At 58 years old, Bruno Genesio is the only one with Jurgen Klopp, ex-Liverpool coach, to have beaten Pep Guardiola, coach of Manchester City, José Mourinho, coach of the Turkish club Fenerbahce, Carlo Ancelotti who manages Real Madrid and Wednesday evening Diego Simeone at the head of Antoine Griezmann’s training.
The Lille coach does not derive any personal glory from it
The Losc coach is proud of this feat but takes no glory from it, as he explained at a press conference. “I don’t care, it’s rewarding, but it’s not me who beats Gardiola, Simeone, Mourinho and who beats Ancelotti. It’s a team, it’s a club, it shows that we work “When you believe in it and you have players who give everything, it allows you to produce exceptional performances,” he said.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who obviously did not know the Lille coach, also took his hat off to him. To a question from Margot Dumont, Canal+ journalist, who asked him what he thought of Genesio, the Madrid club technician, visibly surprised, replied “from whom?”, before congratulating Bruno Genesio. “He is a very good coach and he has shown it for years with the work he puts in,” he said.
“He’s passionate, he thinks about football all day”
After his profitable choices, Bruno Genesio brought into the game striker Jonathan David, a double scorer, Zegrova, author of a sublime strike, and Diakité. Journalist Jacques Vendroux is not surprised by his success: “Bruno Genesio is passionate, he thinks about football all day long. He said ‘it’s not just thanks to me, it’s thanks to my president, deputies, I want people to think about the people who work with me.
A new challenge presents itself on Saturday for Bruno Genesio. Lille, fourth in Ligue 1, travels to Lens, just behind in fifth place, for a Northern derby which promises to be competitive.
