Marseille get their passports out to prepare Champions League return
Young Belgian striker Lucas Stassin is on a prolonged hot streak in front of goal for Saint-Etienne (JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK)
French giants Marseille have not been involved in European competition this season but such is their determination to get back onto the continental stage that coach Roberto De Zerbi and his players are already embarking on some foreign travel.
De Zerbi has been dissatisfied with his team's performances in recent weeks, even though Marseille are second in the Ligue 1 table with four games remaining, meaning they are on course to qualify for next season's Champions League.
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They had suffered five defeats in seven games before last week's 5-1 home win over bottom side Montpellier, and the five teams immediately beneath them in the standings are all currently within four points.
That means 1993 Champions League winners Marseille, who finished eighth last season, have no margin for error in their attempts to return to Europe.
So Italian coach De Zerbi has opted for a typically Italian approach to focusing his players' minds for the run-in, taking the squad away on a training camp -- a "ritiro" in Italian, meaning "retreat" -- to prepare for the season's final furlong.
And in keeping with the Italian theme, De Zerbi and his squad jetted off on Tuesday of this week to Italy.
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They set up base in a five-star hotel in Rome and have been training north of the capital, in a small stadium on the banks of the Tiber, while also paying a visit to the Vatican on Wednesday.
"We decided we would try everything as we attempt to achieve our objective" of Champions League qualification, said De Zerbi after the game against Montpellier.
"It is not a punishment" for his players, he added. "It is just a way to try to bring us together."
They will be back in Marseille ahead of Sunday's home meeting with Brest, before possibly returning to Italy again.
"The only thing that counts is the match against Brest," said president Pablo Longoria in a club statement.
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"The decision to go away on a training camp was taken collectively, at a time when every little detail can make the difference."
Mason Greenwood, Adrien Rabiot and the rest of the Marseille squad will hope a few days in the Italian sunshine can help spur them on as they attempt to finish as best of the rest in France behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Player to watch: Lucas Stassin
The Belgian striker, 20, was the star for Saint-Etienne in a 2-1 derby victory over Lyon last weekend which came as a huge boost in their battle to avoid relegation.
He was also at the centre of controversy as, before going on to score the winner, Stassin was shown a red card for a nasty foul on Corentin Tolisso. The Lyon player was stretchered off injured, but the punishment was reduced to yellow following a VAR check, provoking fury in the away ranks.
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Former Anderlecht youngster Stassin signed from Westerlo in his homeland in August for a fee of around 10 million euros ($11.4m). He didn't score in any of his first 11 appearances for Saint-Etienne, but has now found the net 12 times in 16 Ligue 1 games since mid-December.
That includes nine in the last nine matches, and Les Verts are hoping Stassin can keep on firing them towards survival.
Key stats
30 - PSG are still unbeaten after 30 games and are just four matches away from becoming the first team ever to complete a Ligue 1 season without losing
10 - Strasbourg are unbeaten in 10 Ligue 1 games as they find themselves in a group of six clubs separated by just four points in the fight for European qualification behind champions PSG
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11 - Bottom side Montpellier have lost their last 11 games and will have their relegation confirmed this weekend unless they beat Reims, and both Le Havre and Saint-Etienne lose
Fixtures (times GMT)
Friday
Paris Saint-Germain v Nice (1845)
Saturday
Strasbourg v Saint-Etienne (1500), Le Havre v Monaco (1700), Lyon v Rennes (1905)
Sunday
Angers v Lille (1300), Lens v Auxerre, Nantes v Toulouse, Montpellier v Reims (all 1515), Marseille v Brest (1845)
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