Not so long ago, it seemed Roberto De Zerbi would have his pick of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. AC Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus, Napoli and Manchester United were, at one time or another all, all linked with the Italian coach who made a profound impact over nearly two seasons at Brighton.
By Graham Ruthven
It is therefore somewhat surprising that De Zerbi has ended up at Marseille this summer. The 45-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Ligue 1 club and has outlined his plan to “help the club regain the position that Marseille deserves.” According to Marseille owner Frank McCourt, De Zerbi “shares our vision for the future of the club.”
Marseille, of course, aren’t a small club. By many metrics, they are the biggest club in France. OM are still the only French club to have ever won the Champions League and there is genuine upside to De Zerbi’s decision to make the move to Stade Velodrome. With the right manager – and the right investment – Marseille could challenge Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite this, De Zerbi’s move to Marseille could be a career-defining gamble. While nobody doubts the 45-year-old’s tactical acumen, questions surfaced over his temperament and adaptability towards the end of his time at Brighton. De Zerbi needs to succeed at Marseille to resume his upward trajectory.
Brighton finished last season with just one win from their final 10 league fixtures. This led to the Seagulls finishing a lowly 11th place in the Premier League table as De Zerbi openly speculated about his future at the club. After defeat to Roma in the Europa League round of 16, there was a sense that De Zerbi took his hands off the wheel.
The Italian coach and Brighton owner Tony Bloom clashed over transfer strategy before De Zerbi’s exit was announced. Brighton, of course, are renowned for their ability to find value in untapped parts of the transfer market (see Argentina, Ecuador and Scandinavia), but De Zerbi reportedly wanted more experience in his squad.
De Zerbi even talked about his interest in one day coaching Marseille when Brighton were paired with the French team in the Europa League last season. “The club reminds me a bit of Napoli when I was there as a player, in terms of the passion,” said De Zerbi just a few months before his appointment at Stade Velodrome.
After André Villas-Boas, Jorge Sampaoli, Igor Tudor, Marcelino, Gennaro Gattuso and Jean-Louis Gasset, De Zerbi is Marseille’s seventh permanent manager in the last three years. American businessman and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner McCourt bought the Ligue 1 club in 2016 and promised improvement, but not one trophy has been lifted during his tenure. Chaos, however, hasn’t been in short supply.
If De Zerbi had an issue with Brighton’s transfer strategy, it’s unlikely he will tolerate Marseille’s approach to the transfer market any better. Villas-Boas left Stade Velodrome after a disagreement over transfers. 16 months later, Sampaoli vented similar frustrations after just one full season in charge.
Nonetheless, De Zerbi has the opportunity to mould Marseille’s squad in his own image with a rebuild under way this summer. Central midfielder Ismaël Koné has arrived from Watford after his high energy performances for Canada at the Copa America, with promising centre-back Bamo Meïté lured from Lorient. On top of this, Mason Greenwood has completed a move from Manchester United in a transfer opposed by Marseille’s mayor.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the only Marseille player to even get close to double figures in Ligue 1 last season, but the Gabonese striker has departed the club for Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League. This will provide an early test of the new union between De Zerbi and Marseille – can the club’s ownership find a replacement as good as Aubameyang?
Culturally, De Zerbi could be a good fit for Marseille. Indeed, this is a fanbase that will embrace the Italian’s high-intensity brand of football. It is, after all, a high-intensity sort of club. However, the coach Pep Guardiola labelled “one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years” has a point to prove in his new job. De Zerbi must use Marseille to show he could cut it at the very top.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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