The 3-1 defeat to Auxerre earlier this month marked Marseille’s second consecutive defeat at the Stade Vélodrome, raising questions over the Italian’s stay. After the defeat, De Zerbi openly addressed his position in the post-match press conference, emphasizing responsibility and expressing his desire to file his papers. “If the problem is me, I’m ready to leave. I’m leaving without the money, I don’t care about the rest. I don’t want to make excuses and talk nonsense”said the 45-year-old coach.
However, after the international break, De Zerbi seems to have changed his mind. The former Brighton manager ruled out any talk of leaving and vowed to turn things around at Marseille, who have won just once in five matches.
“If the problem is me…”
De Zerbi even made comparisons to his time at Shakhtar Donetsk, where he coached during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, to express his strong determination to continue at Marseille. “I, the players and the club in general do not accept the match against Auxerre,” he told journalists. “On the ground, it was not enough. I didn’t use strong words. I just took responsibility. We played five matches at the Vélodrome: one victory, two draws and two defeats. I assume my responsibilities. If you think I’m going to quit, that it’s my idea, I really want to emphasize that I’m not running away. I stay here, I did not flee Shakhtar even when Putin launched bombings in kyiv. I believe in this Marseille team, in the players I coach. I’m not going anywhere else.”
Despite its recent setbacks, Marseille remains in third place in Ligue 1 before a major shock against Lens. The team has had a relatively strong start to the season under De Zerbi, but the home performances have left a lot to be desired. And the Italian knows that improving results at the Vélodrome will be crucial to maintaining the team’s momentum as the season progresses.
