Marseille sack their best manager in the 21st century. Why?

The news that Roberto De Zerbi and Marseille agreed to part company came as a surprise, but it was a real option for some time. It was a surprise as Olympique is still fourth in Ligue 1 and could win the French Cup (PSG have been eliminated already), not to mention that finding an available (and proper) coach in February is not easy. But also, after such terrible results like a 3-0 loss to Bruges, which eventually led to Marseille being eliminated from the Champions League on a goal difference, and then a 5-0 thrashing by the arch-rivals PSG, the sacking was inevitable. It all started after that 3-0 defeat when sporting director Medhi Benatia openly criticized everybody and said: 'I want this to have consequences for the rest of the season‘. De Zerbi also didn‘t help himself with his honest words at the press conferences after Bruges and PSG, when he admitted that this was the first time in his career to have “a team on such a rollercoaster. I have no explanation, that's the biggest problem right now“.

Humiliation, elimination… separation

So, when he didn‘t have an explanation and obviously no solution, he left. But there were ‘cracks‘ between De Zerbi and his players befere. Benatia was the one who brought the Italian to Marseille and he wasn‘t so keen to let him go and even confronted the players a few times, but the players were not so happy with De Zerbi. According to RMC Sport, several players reportedly felt they are under permanent observation, with strict monitoring extending well beyond the pitch. Arrival and departure times at the Commanderie training centre were scrutinised, as are the duration of stretching sessions and even the menus served in the canteen. L‘Equipe reported that there was confusion surrounding De Zerbi’s sporting choices. Members of the squad and staff were said not to fully understand some of the Italian coach’s decisions, yet feel unable to openly challenge them. More worryingly, a feeling among players that they were not progressing in training, despite the demanding nature of the sessions. Local La Provence name other reasons like constant tactical changes, countless starting lineups that prevented players from performing in optimal conditions, lack of self-reflection, and toxic management with increasingly frequent and harsh criticism of his players.

Marquinhos' celebration and De Zerbi‘s apology

It is likely that all these reasons lead to De Zerbi‘s departure and looking at the numbers, he is the most successful Marseille manager in the 21st century, inlcuding such names as Didier Deschamps and Marcelo Bielsa. With a record of 39 wins, 8 draws, and 22 losses, the Italian boasts a 56.5% win rate. In Ligue 1, in particular, the Marseille club had a very successful run under his guidance, with 32 wins, 8 draws, and 15 losses in 55 matches, averaging 1.81 points per game. With a win rate of 56.5%, Roberto De Zerbi is simply the best OM coach of the 21st century. Behind the Italian are Igor Tudor (56.3%) and Jorge Sampaoli (54%).