André Villas-Boas back on the touch line for a major European game? This must be a special edition of Le Classique.

His red beard is spotting grey, but his pre-match demeanor was that of a man who’s taken plenty of time off to live a dream.

He was all handshakes and smiles, shining in his Marseille track suit like he just left the spa.

The shine faded quick.

His high-line the down fall. It wasn’t the ridiculous high-line of his Chelsea days, but without a calculated press, Di Maria and Veratti were able to pick out Mbappe and Icardi by request.

4-0 at halftime. The match was over. With the loss Marseille now sit 7th. It’s not a disaster. There’s plenty of season left. But the question is out. Is Andre Villas Boas a good coach?

I’m rooting for him. I always back the nerd, laptop coaches who’ve never played professional football but somehow scrap their way to the top of their professions – See Sarri, Nagelsmann,

8 years on, his Porto team is a cloudy memory. The stint in China boosted his bank account, but not his professional reputation.

If Villas-Boas doesn’t sort out Marseille soon, the Dakar Rally will be the only competitive sport on his calendar.