It's boiling in Marseille: De Zerbi refused to train the players

Olympique de Marseille has always been a volatile club, where emotions can quickly swing from euphoria to despair. This was expected when Roberto De Zerbi took over last June, following an ambitious transfer window that saw several high-profile signings. Expectations for immediate results were high, and the Italian initially delivered, securing 13 out of 15 possible points at the start of the season. However, as is often the case in Marseille, moments of excitement are followed by a harsh reality check. The team has suffered a major slump, losing four of their last five matches, and they were eliminated from the French Cup early.

Now, their Champions League qualification is at risk, and tensions within the squad have reached a boiling point. The tipping point came after last weekend’s 1-3 defeat to Reims, which led to a heated confrontation between De Zerbi and his players. The Italian coach directly called out Spanish defender Pol Lirola in front of the team:

"Nobody at this club wanted you last summer except me. I was the only one who believed in you, and this is how you repay me with that kind of defending? You want me to fail? Then you’ll all go down with me!" De Zerbi shouted at Lirola, who had been forced to play as a center-back and was substituted at halftime.

De Zerbi explained why he benched Greenwood

This was followed by controversial disciplinary measures that upset the squad. After the defeat, De Zerbi ordered the players to stay overnight at the club’s training base instead of going home, even though they were supposed to have a day off. This decision was especially unpopular among the Muslim players, who were expecting to celebrate an important religious holiday. Then, on Monday, the players faced another surprise at training.

"I don’t want to train you today" De Zerbi told them upon arrival.

Drama continues - Rabiot: "Nasser, you can have the money, but no class"

The players didn’t hold back either, responding that they had no intention of training under his staff. Sporting director Mehdi Benatia had to step in, reminding the players that they were investments for the club and had a job to do. The squad fired back, asking him if he had ever experienced a situation where a coach refused to train his team during his playing days at clubs like Juventus or Bayern Munich. Benatia acknowledged that the players also shared responsibility:

"With your individual quality and the lineup that played against Reims, you should have won even without a coach" he told them.

They bring in players with the same names as PSG!?

Eventually, he convinced them to return to training, while De Zerbi remained absent until Wednesday. While things have somewhat returned to normal, the atmosphere remains tense. This Sunday, Toulouse visits the Velodrome, and a win is crucial—especially since Marseille’s next match is against direct rival Monaco. That game could be De Zerbi’s last in charge of the French giants… or a stepping stone toward the AC Milan job. Italian media have reported that De Zerbi’s agent, Edoardo Crnjar, recently met with Fabio Paratici, who is expected to become Milan’s new sporting director. Paratici’s first task will be selecting a coach for next season. Could De Zerbi be deliberately provoking an exit from Marseille?

LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 28

Friday

21:45: (1.55) Nice (4.10) Nantes (6.25)

Saturday

18:00: (1.15) PSG (8.00) Angers (16.0)

20:00: (3.70) Brest (3.50) Monaco (2.00)

22:05: (2.25) Olympique Lyon (3.45) Lille (3.15)

Sunday

16:00: (1.60) Lens (4.50) Saint-Etienne (5.20)

18:15: (2.40) Montpellier (3.40) Le Havre (2.95)

18:15: (3.25) Reims (3.35) Strasbourg (2.25)

18:15: (1.85) Rennes (3.50) Auxerre (4.40)

21:45: (1.80) Olympique Marseille (3.60) Toulouse (4.60)

***odds are subject to change***