De Zerbi ‘in love with football’ despite slamming sport’s leaders | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi spoke about his career path, assuring he is ‘still in love with this sport,’ but the Olympique Marseille boss warns it is run by ‘people who don’t know what it’s like to play or coach.’

The 45-year-old sat down with a local television station from his home town of Brescia, SeilaTV, and gave an overview of a lifetime steeped in football.

It started from birth, as his father was among the directors at Brescia in the 1980s and 90s.

“I have four or five key values in life that I will never stray from. I try every day to be a man who carries on along his path, still tied to the person he was as a child,” said De Zerbi.

“Fairness is the most important of those values. I try to be fair with everyone, but above all don’t bully the weak. I too have been in difficult situations and remember how others who were strong at that time acted with me. You can argue, get angry, but the important thing is to be direct and fair.”

De Zerbi bemoans evolution of football and society

His playing career started in the Milan youth academy, going on to play for the likes of Foggia, Brescia, Napoli and Romanian side CFR Cluj.

“Before being a coach, I was a fan and then a player. If I hadn’t been all those things, I would not be what I am now,” continued De Zerbi.

“Maybe I am getting old, but football was more enjoyable back then. There were players who were icons for a club, there was rivalry on the field and in the stands, but that’s where it ended. Now it has become a constant battle and there’s this savage use of social media where people criticise and judge without knowing people. They do it with nastiness, with prejudice.

“The evolution of football represents changes in society too.”

Roberto De Zerbi (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

The Olympique Marseille boss is well-travelled now, already working at Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine when the war broke out, then Brighton and Hove Albion before this season’s experience in France.

“I remain in love with this sport, even if I don’t like that those in charge make decisions without knowing what it means to play or coach. Diego Maradona used to say that and he was right.

“The fixture lists are too packed, I feel those in charge ought to talk to the protagonists of the sport before drawing up the schedule. Coaches and players ought to have a greater say, because they are the ones putting on the show.

“Despite all of that, I still get up every morning with a smile on my face because I’m happy with what I do. I love to create new teams and shape them to my ideas. This helps me to keep on dreaming, like I did when I was a kid and couldn’t wait to get to the stadium.”

Those memories of being a supporter help De Zerbi to recognise what the fans want from his teams now that he is a coach.

“Aside from the result, if you give your all, then you will earn respect from those who follow you. I remember when I was in the Curva Nord of the Stadio Rigamonti and we were so proud when seeing the Brescia team really fight. That’s why you see the banner in many stadiums that reads: ‘Beyond the result.’ If you fight, people appreciate that.”

Finally, would De Zerbi hire himself as a coach if he was in charge of a club?

“I would, but I’d be brutally honest. I would hire De Zerbi as a coach if I wanted to dream and make him dream too.”