Known for his assertive temperament and his demands, Roberto De Zerbi also knows how to show his heart. After the altercation between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe at Olympique de Marseille, the Marseille coach opened the door to a return of the French midfielder, then excluded from the group, without success. The Blues executive finally joined AC Milan at the beginning of September.
In an interview given to Corriere della Serathe Italian technician spoke about his relationship with the native of Saint-Maurice. He claimed to have sometimes hugged the former OM number 25 more than his own son the previous year. A gesture illustrating both his strong bond with his players, but which is not unrelated to the family sacrifices he had to make, believing he “lost his family because of football”.
I spent the last years of my career away from my family”
Forged by his past, De Zerbi has therefore made the relational aspect an undeniable element of his coaching. “I spent the last years of my career in Romania (at CFR Cluj in 2010-2012), far from my family,” he confides.
“Then I started coaching and I missed my children’s childhood and adolescence. I am looking for a relationship with the players and the staff: if affection is added to respect and esteem, it is an explosive mixture. I look for connection, even with the environment. »
The personality of the former Brighton manager shines through in each of his methods, particularly during the courses organized in Rome to strengthen cohesion within his team. “It’s probably the best thing I did, the one that suits me the most: I listened and understood the discontent of the boys, who were not performing well at home,” said RDZ. “I did something powerful to help them know themselves. Then, I organized three meetings: the first, we brought out the negative feelings we had at the Vélodrome; the next day, each player shared the values ​​with which they identified, we wrote them down and displayed them; then we showed a video on the supporters of the Vélodrome, so that they understood who they were dealing with. »
