Win or bust, insists Marseille boss

Marseille boss Jose Anigo admits his club’s entire season rests on the outcome of their UEFA Cup semi-final second leg with Newcastle.

The teams are locked at 0-0 at the halfway stage of the tie but Marseille failed to score an away goal in the first leg at St James’ Park.

Anigo, who replaced the sacked Alain Perrin in January, is hoping to steer the French club to the Gothenburg final where they would play the winners of the all-Spanish tie between Valencia and Villarreal.

David Sommeil, Rudolf Skacel and Koke are all ineligible while injured Egyptian striker Mido and out-of-favour pair Pascal Johansenn and Sebastien Perez are also not included.

There is better news for Steve Marlet and Brahim Hemdani who should both be fit for the clash with the Geordies.

Mathieu Flamini, Habib Beye, Fabio Celestini and Abdoulaye Meite are also in the squad despite recent health problems.

Anigo’s assessment of the importance of the encounter was candid.

“Our entire season rests on the outcome of this match,” he said.

Marseille did not have the ideal preparation for the visit of Newcastle when they lost at the weekend to relegation-threatened Metz.

Meanwhile, the club’s star striker Didier Drogba is the toast of France at the moment after being named Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.

Ivory Coast international Drogba joined the club from Guingamp last summer and has scored 18 Ligue 1 goals and nine in European competition for the south coast outfit.

With domestic cup competitions also taken into account he has registered 30 goals for the Stade Velodrome outfit.

He has proved a talisman for his new team and also won another award for scoring the best goal of the season against Montpellier.

Drogba hopes that the award can help spur him on to achieve more with Marseille this season.

“Winning this award really does me a lot of psychological good,” said Drogba.

“It will give me just the boost I need to finish the season well.”