Marseille paid €30m for Paixão. He refused Genesio's hand and says he'll leave in summer

By the Data Desk · Published 12 OCT 06:30

In the 87th minute at Troyes, with Marseille finally winning, Igor Paixão walked off and refused Bruno Genesio's hand. Before the game he had said on Canal+ that he will more likely leave Marseille next summer, and that it was the club's situation that made him stay.

• Troyes 0-2 Marseille on Sunday: Harit and Abdelli scored, OM won after four defeats in a row and climbed out of the relegation zone.
• Paixão was substituted on 87 minutes and did not shake Genesio's hand (Foot Mercato video, Ligue 1+).
• Marseille paid Feyenoord about €30m for him; 12 goals and 7 assists last season, no goals and one assist in four Ligue 1 games this season.

On Le Canal Football Club before the game, Paixão was open about the summer. He said “la situation du club m'a fait rester”, that staying was “le bon choix”, and that “il y a plus de chances que je parte l'été prochain” rather than in January, Foot Mercato reported. French media linked him with Premier League clubs this summer, Sunderland among them.

Genesio played it down after the game. “Igor a besoin de retrouver la confiance,” he said, adding that Paixão was disappointed to come off and perhaps with his own game, and that he “peut compter sur moi pour que je le soutienne”. On RMC, pundit Kevin Diaz was harsher and called the gesture “inadmissible”.

The numbers explain the frustration on both sides. Marseille bought him from Feyenoord for around €30m, the third biggest fee in the club's history according to Foot Mercato, after 12 goals and 7 assists in 42 games last season. This season he has one assist and no goals in four Ligue 1 games.

The win at Troyes lifted Marseille out of the relegation places. Next comes Olympiacos at the Vélodrome in the Europa League on Thursday, a side that has just beaten Panathinaikos.