Himad Abdelli wanted to clarify the meaning of his comments after Marseille’s victory over Le Havre. After calling on the substitutes to give their all following a lively end to the match, the attacking midfielder reminded people on social media that he himself had struggled when coming on during his first season at the club: “I came on and I was poor.”
The Olympique de Marseille victory over Le Havre prompted mixed reactions. In control for much of the match, the Marseille club led 4-0 before watching their opponents cut the deficit and make it 4-3 late in the game. The comeback turned what had seemed like a comfortable evening into a particularly tense finish.
After the final whistle, Himad Abdelli spoke about the importance of the attitude of players coming on during a match. He felt that the substitutes also had to give their all. It was a direct remark, made just after OM had been given a scare and the final minutes had highlighted the team’s difficulty in protecting its lead.
His comments prompted reactions. The player then chose to revisit his remarks on social media, explaining that he did not consider himself entitled to judge a teammate’s performances. He also said that his intention was to stress the importance of commitment, not to single out an individual player.
Clarification after his comments about the substitutes
In his message, Abdelli acknowledged that his wording could be misunderstood. He therefore took care to qualify his comments, adding that he was “nobody to say anything about a player.” This clarification was intended to put his reaction in the context of the match, rather than make his words a targeted criticism of one of the substitutes.
The Marseille midfielder did not, however, retract the substance of his remarks. After a match in which the team had let an exceptional lead slip, he wanted to emphasize the collective responsibility of all the players, starters and substitutes alike. Players coming on have to quickly get up to the pace of the match and help preserve the team’s balance.
The end of the match against Le Havre made this issue particularly apparent. Just as Marseille seemed to have all three points in the bag, the visitors took advantage of the closing minutes to score several goals and bring the suspense back. The final score went in OM’s favor, but Le Havre’s response was a reminder that the game could still swing either way.
Himad Abdelli draws on his own experience
To explain his point of view, Abdelli referred to his own experience. He said that during the previous season, after joining Marseille, there had been times when he came on and failed to put in a satisfactory performance. “Me, last season, I came on and I was poor,” he wrote, openly acknowledging the difficulties he had faced himself.
This reference casts his comments in a different light. Rather than speaking from an outside perspective, the player points out that he has been through the same situation he was talking about: joining a match already in progress and having to meet its demands immediately. His message thus recognizes that a difficult substitute appearance can be part of a player’s journey, without relieving players of the effort expected of them.
By referring to this period in his career, Abdelli also shows that he understands the gap between a coach’s expectations and the real difficulty of coming into a match. A substitute has little time to find his bearings, adapt to the pace and contribute to the team’s momentum. These constraints do not, however, prevent the team from expecting him to make an immediate commitment.
The player therefore linked his call for commitment to a degree of personal understanding. He, too, has had disappointing performances when coming on during a match, but in his eyes that experience has not diminished the importance of stepping up when the team needs him. His clarification thus placed his words in both a collective and a personal context.
A standout performance in a tense victory
The match against Le Havre was also marked by Abdelli’s performance. The attacking midfielder made his presence felt during the game and scored a particularly well-taken goal. His display contributed to Marseille’s strong spell, although the end of the match then exposed the team’s vulnerabilities when trying to manage a substantial lead.
This goal comes in a season in which Abdelli has become an important part of Marseille’s starting eleven. He has featured in all eight of his team’s Ligue 1 matches this season and already has three goals. His regular presence reflects the place he has gradually earned in the squad and the attacking role he now plays.
His development contrasts with the difficulties he has described from the previous season. The player does not portray his journey as a steady progression: he acknowledges that he went through difficult moments before establishing himself more firmly. By reflecting on his own unsuccessful substitute appearances, he reminds us that a player’s status and performances can change over time, with work and confidence.
Marseille wants to regain greater composure
Despite the anxiety caused by Le Havre’s comeback, Marseille held on to what mattered most: another league victory. This was OM’s third win in a row, as they continue to climb the table. The team can build on this positive run while recognizing that managing the closing stages of matches remains an area to improve.
The 4-3 scoreline reflects a match in which Marseille’s attacking efficiency was followed by a less controlled finish. A four-goal lead should have allowed the Olympians to see out the game more calmly. Instead, Le Havre’s response brought a pressured final stretch, during which every defensive action could prove decisive.
For Abdelli, this victory and the discussions that followed come at a time when he has established himself in the squad and is regularly contributing to his team’s results. His role is not limited to his goals: his comments have also opened up a debate about the commitment of players brought on during a match and the demands placed on the team in difficult moments.
A new test against Toulouse
Marseille must now prepare to host Toulouse, scheduled for Sunday, November 1. Ahead of that fixture, the team will look to regain greater control in the closing minutes and avoid allowing a comfortable lead to turn into another high-pressure situation.
For Himad Abdelli, the next match will be an opportunity to build on his recent performances. A regular in the team and already the scorer of three league goals, he goes into this fixture with an important role in Marseille’s setup, while the question of the substitutes’ impact will remain at the center of discussion after the finish against Le Havre.
