Olympique de Marseille got off to a very bad start to 2026. Beaten at home by FC Nantes (0-2) on Sunday in Ligue 1, the Phocéens delivered a performance which did not fail to provoke a reaction. This defeat triggered numerous criticisms, targeting both the content proposed by the Phocaeans and the work of their coach Roberto De Zerbi.
Former striker for OM and the French team, Christophe Dugarry did not mince his words with regard to the Italian technician. The 1998 world champion openly questioned the skills of the former Brighton coach, whose limits he now says he perceives.
“We don’t understand anything about what you’re doing”
“The players, the physical trainers, the assistants who are also rotten on the sidelines by De Zerbi. In short, everyone is rubbish (laughs), catastrophic. The stadium is full, you are supposed to host a pitiful opponent, and Nantes manages to get back on track with a great match, it must also be emphasized, by playing football. I don’t understand what De Zerbi does, his organization… He never plays the same players twice, or otherwise not in the same position. You don’t understand anything, I don’t know what this gentleman is doing. Stop psychology, you have assistants… Become a coach, we don’t understand anything about what you do…”he said in the show Rothen s’igné on
RMC.
And Dugarry drives the point home: “His changes bring absolutely nothing, and there are still the young people who haven’t played on the bench. I don’t understand what he’s doing. I don’t want to add to it, it’s been months and months since this gentleman has been able to give me hope, to give me a guideline. I think he’s overrated. He has only trained average teams, and he shows month after month that the step is too high. He’s an average trainer. He was given the opportunity to become a bigger coach, and there is a glass ceiling. He’s been here for 18 months and there’s no progress. He’s friendly, his accent too… There’s no problem. But you need a tactician, a guy who feels football, a guy who makes wise changes, who is inspired. »
