On the eve of the opening match of the 13th day of Ligue 1 between Nice and OM (Friday, 8:45 p.m.), the Marseille coach Roberto DeZerbi spoke at a press conference on numerous subjects, notably the management of his workforce and the controversy over arbitration.
Questioned on the sensitive subject of arbitration, De Zerbi displayed a frank and respectful position: “I challenge the referees on the field, not off it. I get angry during the match but I don’t watch the videos, I have other things to think about. Sometimes the referee makes mistakes. Against Atalanta, on the penalty not called, I shook the referee’s hand and he gave me an explanation. Once the referee whistles the end of the match, I am respectful. »
Squad management and injuries
De Zerbi insisted on the importance of intelligently managing certain executives and deplored the absences. He declared that Geoffrey Kondogbia is “very important for OM”and that it requires a “intelligent and attentive management” to take care of ourselves, because it is decisive. Concerning the injured, he stressed that Captain Achraf Hakimi is “irreplaceable”, while noting that Balerdi and Kondogbia are returning, but that Medina is still injured and that Murillo was injured in the selection. He concluded:
“The only thing that worries me is the injured. We have a strong team. When we are complete, we have a team to be strong. »
De Zerbi defends Pavard and Balerdi
The coach defended key players who may have been the target of criticism. He said that Benjamin Pavard is a sensitive player who suffered, but that he “played at the highest level in the team and made efforts on his salary to come”. He also defended Leonardo Balerdi, calling him a “still a key player” of this team, starter and captain, for whom it is an important season.
Even though he recognizes the importance of the Champions League match, De Zerbi brings the attention back to Ligue 1: “The matches of the previous months were important too… We know the importance of the match against Newcastle. But Nice is important too. If we have the qualities to have reached this point, we can still go one step further. »
