Thirty-nine hours after Marseille’s 0-3 collapse at Club Bruges, Roberto De Zerbi reappeared on Friday, sought to cool tempers and maintained he is still in charge.
According to L’Équipe, Thursday brought a swirl of claims that he was under threat or ready to quit, while internally he missed training for health reasons, stayed in his room at mealtime and received medication from the club doctor, before later denying he had asked to leave.
He led training at Clairefontaine and then spoke for about half an hour via a pre-planned remote news conference. He said he had stepped back on Thursday to rest, analyse the next opponent and speak individually with senior players, before an evening meeting with football director Medhi Benatia and president Pablo Longoria.
De Zerbi accepted responsibility for Bruges and the Champions League exit, while stressing defeats are collective, with greater accountability on the coach. He also challenged the rate of squad churn, arguing that repeatedly changing seven to 10 players and chasing scapegoats undermines competitiveness, and that the group need time to build cohesion before aiming higher.
He described his squad as very strong and said he signs off on recruits, yet wants to be less exposed to summer market turbulence that disrupts preparation. He underlined that he has never resigned, any negotiated exit would be costly for the club, and he believes he could stay five or six years, convinced his players are with him and that the team can still salvage the season.
