'Scandalous' Marseille lose at Lorient, damage Champions League bid

Marseille risk missing out on the Champions League next season after a stuttering recent run (Fred TANNEAU)

(Fred TANNEAU/AFP/AFP)

Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia blasted the team's performance after a 2-0 loss at Lorient on Saturday dealt a damaging blow to their hopes of Champions League football next season.

Panos Katseris and Bamba Dieng goals secured victory for Lorient in Brittany and left Marseille in danger of losing further ground in the race for automatic Champions League qualification.

Habib Beye's team are a point behind third-placed Lille, who host Nice later on Saturday, and Marseille could also finish the weekend trailing Lyon and Rennes. Only the top three in France are guaranteed a spot in Europe's top club competition.

Benatia, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, tore into the players as Marseille lost for the third time in four matches.

"I didn't plan on speaking again until the end of the year because I think we've talked far too much over the first six months... but when I see the game we played today, even though I don't want to talk, I have to come before the press, because it's a scandal. It's a scandal," Benatia raged.

"You're playing Lorient, who have nothing left to play for, and you don't win a single duel, you don't make a single run forward, you're not proactive, you don't try anything, and you just watch them.