On Wednesday, OM made a mistake in Bruges and gave up on their European ambitions. Twenty-four hours after this sporting fiasco, Christophe Dugarry, the 1998 world champion, who played for OM from 1997 to 1999, did not spare Roberto de Zerbi, the Marseille technician, in whom he found few mitigating circumstances. Between constantly renewed compositions, lack of questioning and glass ceiling, the RMC Sport consultant delivers a harsh observation.
Was this elimination in Bruges an accident… or a predicted fiasco?
CHRISTOPHE DUGARRY. Having known football for a long time, there is never anything announced. The outcome is quite incredible. To be honest, I didn’t imagine OM capable of conceding three goals in Bruges, even if I have doubts about De Zerbi. In any case, it is shameful to produce such a match, announced as “historic” by the coach. At the end there was a qualification. The players feel, I hope, shame. When you have this feeling deep within you and you prepare to face the gaze of the Vélodrome in a week in the Cup against Rennes, that should allow you to react.
In Bruges, OM are down 2-0 after 11 minutes, without intensity, without benchmarks… Is this sinking primarily that of the players or that of the coach?
Everyone is free with their arguments and their vision of football to point out those responsible. I saw players lost, absent at all levels. Tactics, techniques. There were boulevards. You wonder how they prepared for the match. There were gaps in communication. What is the role of a coach?
Can you expand?
De Zerbi, the club has said, is at the center of a 3-year project. He is the guide, the person responsible and he accepted it. What is being asked of him, I agree, is not easy. Especially in Marseille. The challenge is very difficult. The role of a coach is to bring a vision to his players, and they must adhere to it. When you lug them around, you lose them. Please note, I am not exonerating them from all responsibility. But the job of a coach is also to have a form of continuity, in order to create automatisms. It seems so simple and basic.
However, in 30 matches in all competitions this season, Roberto de Zerbi has fielded 30 different team compositions…
(He cuts) This is unheard of. Maybe I’m an idiot, maybe I don’t understand anything and De Zerbi is a genius. I’ve never coached. I’ve just been playing football since the age of 8, I spent 16 years in the pros with a few selections for the Blues and trophies. But how do you expect a team to have consistency in its performances when it is different in every match. It’s just impossible.
The Italian technician has now been on the job for 18 months. And the same evils repeat themselves at regular intervals. Does that surprise you?
Eighteen months is an extremely long time in the world of football. The leaders met all of its sporting expectations. Each time he no longer wanted a player, they made sure to exfiltrate him. It’s up to him to help the players progress. When I hear it at a press conference, I find it catastrophic. It’s always other people’s fault. Never his. Once it was Greenwood’s, then Pavard’s against Liverpool. There is no questioning about him.
You hardly find any excuses for him?
I’m not saying it’s a pump. He still has the opportunity to show that he is a top coach. But for now, I’m sorry, I’m more than satisfied. He played his 14th Champions League match on Wednesday and won 3. There is such a disconnect between De Zerbi and his players. This was the case in Bruges but not only. I’ve been feeling this for months.
Is it overrated for you?
Obviously we have the right to ask ourselves the question. I have my answer more and more. I think so, yes, he is overrated. We need to put things in context. He was announced as a future big name. He did good things at his previous clubs. This is Marseille, with the Champions League and a very complicated environment. It’s up to him to show that the bar is not too high. Even if I find him quite sure of himself, with a very important ego, De Zerbi must also set this objective, ask himself if he is capable of coaching at this level and breaking the glass ceiling. I am not saying that one day he will not manage Real Madrid. In football no one can read the future. But what I have seen over the past 18 months disappoints me enormously. 18 months to get to this match in Bruges! Wow.
Does he remain the man for the job or do we need an electric shock and announce his departure?
I won’t make him leave. What would be the point of parting ways with them at this stage of the season? With your budget of 260 million and a plethora of players, almost exclusively internationals, you are aiming for a place in the top three in Ligue 1. De Zerbi is more than enough to fulfill this roadmap. Same for winning the Coupe de France without PSG. However, I did not have the impression that in the OM project the reference was to rank among the 3. Obviously this objective will be achieved.
