→ Mathieu Valbuena: “Lyon’s biggest mistake was letting him go”
57 matches with Bruno Genesio at OL (2016-2017)
« Derby against Saint-Étienne (February 2017). He plays (Memphis) Depay in my place. I'm a little angry, I find it unfair. We lose 2-0. The moment is complicated. We are expected after the match by the supporters, etc. We play Nancy three days later. The supporters are really going on strike… We are being whistled at. I am a holder. After 30 minutes, my thigh hurts and it gives out. As Memphis prepares to replace me, a ball arrives in the box. I tell myself I'm going to kick with my other leg. I put it in the skylight. I'm going out on this. Bruno says in my ear: « You're quite a guy. I have rarely seen players with sacred balls. Even when injured, you didn't give up. » Our relationship changed from there.
At first, he wasn't really my cup of tea. I wasn't playing, I felt like it was unfair. But by knowing him as a coach and as a man, he really brought me a lot. The end result is that we see each other outside from now on, something I never would have imagined.
Even when things were going well, we didn't put too much emphasis on it. We made fun of Pep Genesio. As number 1, he got everyone on the same page in a short time.
Bruno is his spontaneity and his character. I knew him as Hubert Fournier's assistant in Lyon. He had a way of seeing football… A passionate person, I saw it directly. He was quickly put forward by taking over the team mid-season (December 2015). In his pre-match speeches, he knew how to talk to us, he managed to touch his players. And Bruno made us play ball, with real playing principles. This was reflected on the pitch. We finished second, for example putting Monaco 6-1 on the last day. He had two hats: both in communication, close to his players, but he was also demanding. He always gave his all to his profession. He is someone who manages to recharge his batteries with his family and then leave again. And when he has a project, he throws himself into it. Sometimes we talk about it again: the biggest regret is this Europa League semi-final against Ajax. We lost 4-1 on the first leg, we won 3-1 on the return leg. We narrowly missed the extension.
He likes to arrive in the morning, greet his locker room, joke and laugh a little, and not always only talk about football. We weren't afraid to go see him, to sleep. He knew how to put things into perspective, because then, in training, there was a lot of rigor. His quality is also that he manages to keep a locker room concerned. He communicates a lot with the players, especially those who don't play.
Lyon's biggest mistake was letting him go. Everything that happened to him at OL affected him enormously, because he is a true lover of the club, but also because it affected his family. After his departure, Lyon had difficulties on the bench. Many people predicted that he was just a very average coach. Objectively, he deserves everything that happens to him. I am very happy to see him evolve and progress. It received huge reviews… Even when it was going well, we didn't put too much emphasis on it. We made fun of Pep Genesio. As number 1, he got everyone on the same page in a short time. »
→ Amine Gouiri: « He was a big Manchester City fan »
67 matches with Bruno Genesio at Olympique Lyonnais (2017-2018) and Stade Rennais (2022-2023)
« When we arrived in Rennes, we were on 16 matches without defeat. We are going to Lille, before the World Cup break (2022). We go 1-1, one of the worst matches of the series. Behind, we made 40 minutes of video. He didn't caress us in the right direction, even though we went 17 games without losing. He had been hard. When we came out of the video, we said to ourselves that it was for our own good. Everyone agrees. Bruno Genesio is the requirement. Even in training, he will watch everything. He leaves us free, but the schedules for training, talks, video sessions, all of this is essential: you have to arrive on time! If you are late for the talk, you go from starting to the bench and from the bench to going to the stands. I remember a match against PSG. Hamari Traoré was captain. He arrives late for the talk, scheduled for 7 p.m. The coach says to team manager to lock the door. He was the captain, but the coach had not changed for him and had put him on the bench. We had won. Hamari understood. If you do that to the captain, it concerns everyone. And the talk afterwards, I can tell you that everyone was ahead.
He likes to suffocate the opponent. Monopolize the ball, whatever the team, whether it's Real Madrid or the last one. He will always keep his principles of having the ball, taking risks, playing, pressing. Also demanding on technical quality. He doesn't let anything go.
He always seeks to make his teams play well. In training or in a match. He always said: « We play like we train. » He has his playing principles. Attacking football. He wants us to respect that, to play. He likes his team to have fun. He was a big Manchester City fan. He has already shown us videos of them. He took a lot from the way they play, with and without the ball. He likes to suffocate the opponent. Monopolize the ball, whatever the team, whether it's Real Madrid or the last one. He will always keep his principles of having the ball, taking risks, playing, pressing. Also demanding on technical quality. He doesn't let anything go. A check, a bad pass… He won't hesitate to say it, whether to a big or a “small” player. This is also why we appreciate it. He speaks and puts everyone on the same level. »
→ Gilles Rousset: “ He dares blows that others would not dare »
In Bruno Genesio's staff at the OL training center and in China
« It was built gradually. Beneath his calm exterior, he's a hard worker. People don't perceive him like that, but he is a very warm, very human person, who attaches a lot of values to people. Having been an assistant brought him this closeness with the players. He likes the game. He likes players who have the ball. He likes to have possession. And he has intuition, a bit of wit. He feels things. He dares to do things that perhaps others wouldn't dare, like putting offensive players on and pressing very high against big teams. He likes to try to cause problems that the opponent doesn't expect. It's not for nothing that his teams often beat the big guys. He is very open, he talks a lot before the sessions. He is always the one who gives the themes, he is the conductor, and then he invites us to collaborate with him. He leaves room for his deputies to propose. It's very nice.
He has this playful side, which we find a little in his aspirations, in his tactics, in his compositions.
In his training, it's intensity, play, and little down time. He wants a lot of rhythm. He always said: « Come on, let's continue, let's continue, let's continue! » He is not a fan of big speeches between training sequences. He doesn't like to stop the game, discuss, or restart. That's what struck me. He likes good humor. He is not someone closed, rigid. Absolutely not. Those who know him well know that he is a bon vivant, he loves life, he likes to mess around, to fool around. He has this playful side, which we find a little in his aspirations, in his tactics, in his compositions. He's a very nice and very generous guy. Whatever people may say, his teams play good football. He deserves to be recognized now. His results speak for themselves. »
→ Damien Da Silva: « I would have liked to work with him longer »
8 matches with Bruno Genesio at Stade Rennais (2021)
« I am very attached to the human level. He too is focused on that. Humanly, I loved it. It didn't take very long, unfortunately. I would have liked to work with him longer. His management style, interpersonal skills, being close to the players, it's very interesting. It gives us confidence, it makes us feel comfortable in a group. He is a very frank, honest person who knows how to tell you things. When he arrived, Stade Rennes was not doing very well. At that time, I was playing a lot of matches. It wasn't my best performance, I was a little tired, worn out. He spoke to me frankly, and said: “You’re not going to start tomorrow. » Obviously, it didn't make me happy. (Smile.) He didn't leave me in the hassle of making his choice without telling me. I appreciated him talking to me like that.
I played again afterwards, and it went very well. In his talks, we also felt that he was true, whole, 100%. He lived those moments. We felt it was the man speaking. It touched us. Six months later, I left for Lyon. And, there too, the discussions were frank. At the end of the season, he spoke to me a lot about OL, and I didn't feel that he had any resentment. On the contrary. He could have completely dismantled the Lyon thing, he didn't. He explained to me what was going to be good and not good there. He gave me the facts and told me to make my choice. I loved this discussion before I left. His workouts? We had fun, with a lot of play. And also, on the other hand, the demanding side. He'll bump into you if he's not feeling guys, because he's living it. He will express his feelings, without hiding them. Lively sessions, with voice. »
→ Jordy Gaspar : « From this meeting, I came away shocked »
3 matches with Bruno Genesio at OL (2016-2017)
« It was the coach who started me, I will never forget him. He had a big impact on me. Before being a coach, he is someone, humanly speaking, that I found exceptional. He had this thing of listening to the players. I was much younger, I didn't necessarily have the same status as the others. When we are young, we feel less listened to. With Genesio, it was different. He had the ability to communicate with all types of players. There were egos, like Clément Grenier, with whom we had to find the right words. Always the right method. In his management, he was strong.
I wasn't a pro yet. I was getting caught by anyone at the club. I am called to his office. I was afraid he would say to me: « Boy, if you don't sign, you don't play anymore. » But no. He was concerned that I was well in my head. He advised me to sign, but not at any price. He told me: « How are you ? I want you to stay focused. I need you to be comfortable, calm. Surround yourself with the right people. I am happy with your work. » I came out shocked. It was high class. At that time, I needed that. When we take his trajectory, we must not forget that he was a deputy. Being a bit of an intermediary, being close, these are really the characteristics of assistants. He knew how to play with those caps. In Lyon, we had results. But after a defeat, everyone fell on him easily. I never really felt touched. Somehow, I would say he was a little prepared. He kept his principles, he remained Bruno Genesio until the end. I found him to have a real quiet strength. »
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