De Zerbi lashed out at Marseille players: ‘You humiliated me’ | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi’s stint at Marseille keeps being filled with drama, with the latest outburst addressed at his players highlighting the degree of tension inside the French side’s dressing room.

The former Brighton manager started his Ligue 1 career brilliantly by winning four of his first five league fixtures, but three defeats from the following six domestic games created a poisoned environment that became hard to manage.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – MARCH 14: Roberto De Zerbi, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, applauds the fans following the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 round of 16 second leg match between Brighton & Hove Albion and AS Roma at the Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium on March 14, 2024 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Notably, De Zerbi was furious after Marseille’s latest 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Auxerre before the international break when his side conceded three first-half goals against a newly promoted side.

De Zerbi told Marseille players they have ‘no balls’ and that he felt ‘humiliated’

As a result, the Italian tactician said in a post-match press conference that he was ‘ready to walk away’ and even ‘give up’ on his salary, but his public statements were just the last part of an outpouring of rage that started immediately after the match, as he told his footballers they have ‘no balls’ and that he felt ‘humiliated’.

The Athletic detailed De Zerbi’s outburst inside Marseille’s dressing room on their Instagram official account: “He said to his players: ‘You have no balls, you humiliated me tonight, you humiliated your club’.”

Roberto De Zerbi (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

The coach then addressed to captain Leonardo Balerdi: “You of all people have the least ball here,” he said.

He then went on to remind his players he’s not here ‘for the money’.

“I’m not here for the money, I’ve told you that already, I’m here because of what this club represents and how much I love football. You let me down, you let everybody down.”

The Athletic also specified that, since De Zerbi doesn’t speak French, all his words were pronounced in Italian, with a translator explaining their meaning to the players.

While the ex-Brighton coach said he wanted to compete for the title when he arrived in France last summer, his side now sits third in Ligue 1, nine points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.