Aligned in a central defender role against OL on Sunday evening, Geoffrey Kondogbia was one of OM’s best players. With the signing of Rabiot in midfield, this recycling is here to stay.
Roberto De Zerbi has well-defined tactical ideas, but the Olympique de Marseille coach is also racking his brains to offer a second life to certain players when necessary. This could well be the case in the weeks to come with Geoffrey Kondogbia. Indisputable holder of the Italian coach since the start of the season alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in midfield, the Central African international will be faced with insane competition in the midfield with Ismaël Koné, finally back from injury and starting against OL on Sunday but especially with Adrien Rabiot, for whom a return to form is planned for mid-October at the latest.
We can easily imagine that if the Olympian club recruited the former Juventus Turin player, it was to install him in midfield with Hojbjerg. So what about Kondogbia? According to Provencewe are heading straight towards a retraining of the former Atlético de Madrid player in central defense, a role that he occupied wonderfully on Sunday on the Lyon pitch. “I knew he would start, because he is in the coach’s favor, but I was surprised to see him in this position. In the end, I found him imperial, calm, completely serene. He had a great match.” explains Raoul Savoy, his coach in the Central African Republic, in the columns of the Provencal daily, who confirms that Roberto De Zerbi is seriously considering installing Kondogbia in central defense.
Kondogbia definitively installed in defense?
But will this unexpected recycling suit the main person concerned? The question always arises when such an experienced player changes positions. But for our colleague Tristan Rapaud, the answer is in no doubt. Determined to prove his worth after a failed 2023-2024 season, the former French junior international will not make any fuss. On the contrary, he seems motivated by the idea of establishing himself as OM’s last bastion this season. “He’s a competitor. The only thing that matters to him is to be part of this adventure and to contribute to the success of OM, no matter where he has to play. whispers one of his relatives. Roberto De Zerbi will therefore be able to insist without fear of an ego crisis with his idea of switching Geoffrey Kondogbia to defense, where he will have no less competition than in the middle since this sector of play is also provided with captain Balerdi and the recruits Cornelius and Brassier, all authors of a good start to the season.
