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Official confirmation of Roberto De Zerbi’s exit from Marseille came at 2:35 AM on Tuesday. The timing might have been unusual, but the outcome wasn’t. His departure had been anticipated for weeks, and the humiliating 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes on Sunday simply sealed his fate.

When the cameras captured De Zerbi’s face moments after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia volleyed in PSG’s fourth goal, it was evident that the Italian coach knew his time was over. He was no longer the right man for the job — and perhaps never truly had been.

Though widely recognised as one of modern football’s most innovative tacticians, De Zerbi’s predictably stormy stint at the Stade Velodrome has only strengthened doubts about his suitability for managing at the sport’s highest level.

Admired by Pep and Klopp

To say De Zerbi is admired by his peers would be an understatement — he’s almost venerated. Pep Guardiola, for one, had followed his career closely long before the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss arrived in the Premier League and transformed Brighton into one of Europe’s most entertaining teams.

“Roberto is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years,” Guardiola said in May 2023. “No team plays football quite like his — it’s unique, like dining at a Michelin-star restaurant. I knew he’d have a major impact on the Premier League, but even I didn’t expect him to do so this quickly. His team creates 20 to 25 chances a match, dominating possession in a way we haven’t seen for a long time. Brighton are one of the sides I try to learn from.”

Jurgen Klopp, Guardiola’s long-time rival, was equally complimentary. After Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to De Zerbi’s Brighton at the Amex Stadium, Klopp admitted, “I’m a football lover, and the impact Roberto has had on the game shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Loss of Motivation

De Zerbi made history with Brighton by leading them to their first-ever European qualification via a sixth-place Premier League finish in 2022-23. Yet, he left the club the following season by mutual consent, citing irreconcilable differences over player recruitment and what he saw as a lack of ambition.

“I didn’t understand what the next step was,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “You can double my salary, but if I don’t see a dream or a goal to reach, I can’t give my all. I’d lose the motivation and purpose that drive me.”

Although he was reluctant to leave, De Zerbi was in high demand. His success at Brighton attracted interest from top Premier League and Serie A clubs. Still, his quick decision to join Marseille raised eyebrows.

‘Like a Fan Coaching the Team’

In some ways, De Zerbi and Marseille seemed a natural pairing — both passionate, intense, and prone to volatility. The Italian quickly connected with the city and its supporters. Former Marseille midfielder Samir Nasri told Canal+ Foot, “De Zerbi was like a fan coaching the team. He took defeats very personally.”

Indeed, after Marseille’s penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophee des Champions on January 8, De Zerbi broke down in tears. “I’ve never cried after a defeat before, but this one hurt,” he said. “We wanted to make history and win a trophy. We prepared well, we deserved to win, but we didn’t. We must demand from ourselves to always play with character, technique, and defensive discipline.”

But inconsistency plagued Marseille’s season — and ultimately cost De Zerbi his job.

‘My Fault’

De Zerbi’s first year at Marseille was initially successful, finishing second in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League. However, it wasn’t without turbulence. His decision to hold a late-season training camp in Rome was unconventional but telling of his stress levels. By November 8, just three months into the 2024-25 season, he threatened to resign after a 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre.

“If I’m the problem, I’m ready to go,” he told the press. “I came here for the Velodrome, but I can’t get the players to show what I see in training. It’s my fault, my responsibility.”

Clashes with players followed. De Zerbi often criticised those he felt weren’t giving their all. During one heated training session, he ordered Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone off the pitch for a lack of effort and told him to call his agent. Kone reacted angrily, but later expressed frustration that the club used the incident to promote a documentary about the 2024-25 season.

This episode only reinforced the perception that Marseille thrives on chaos — a place where only a certain temperament can survive. Yet, even De Zerbi’s fiery personality couldn’t withstand the pressure forever.

Inevitable Exit

Just two months earlier, De Zerbi had insisted he was committed to Marseille for the long term. “I’d like to stay beyond three seasons and become one of the club’s longest-serving coaches,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I feel fine, even amid criticism and confusion.”

But after a season that began with a violent dressing-room altercation between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe — which he described as a “bar-room brawl” — his patience eventually wore thin. Marseille’s Champions League campaign ended in heartbreak on January 28 when Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s last-minute header knocked them out of contention. Although unlucky, Marseille’s earlier 3-0 collapse at Club Brugge had made elimination inevitable.

Despite considering resignation after that debacle, De Zerbi stayed on in hopes of turning things around. But it was futile. Days later, Marseille squandered a two-goal advantage in the closing minutes against Paris FC. A Coupe de France win over Rennes briefly lifted spirits, but the crushing defeat to PSG in Le Classique pushed De Zerbi to despair once more.

“We prepared as best we could, but it wasn’t enough,” he admitted. “We must understand why we play like this — in Brugge, and again here. I’m not inside the players’ heads.”

‘More of a Psychologist Than a Coach’

De Zerbi never managed to solve Marseille’s inconsistency. One week they looked unstoppable; the next, completely disoriented. “I’d like to understand why we go through these ups and downs,” he said after a frustrating home loss to Nantes on January 4. “This is my 12th season as a coach, but these days, you need to be more of a psychologist than a coach.” Unfortunately, that’s a role De Zerbi doesn’t seem naturally suited for.

His attention to tactical detail is unquestionable, but his emotional volatility often undermines him. Former Liverpool winger Adam Lallana once said he had to reassure teammates at Brighton not to take De Zerbi’s outbursts personally: “Don’t worry, it comes from a good place.”

De Zerbi’s passion fuels his teams’ intensity, but his inability to balance emotion with calmness remains a weakness. In many ways, he resembles Antonio Conte — but without the trophies. That lack of silverware has led many to doubt his methods.

“Confidence is one thing, but what we see here is an enormous ego,” said former Marseille and France forward Christophe Dugarry on RMC Sport. “He managed Sassuolo and Brighton, yet speaks as if he’s won two Champions Leagues.”

Dugarry, once a believer in De Zerbi’s potential, now deems him “overrated” and a “mediocre coach” with limited game management skills.

Still, De Zerbi’s track record is not without merit. He left Marseille with the highest win rate (57%) of any coach since 2000. Players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang publicly praised him, with the striker writing, “From experience, I know coaches like you don’t come around often.”

De Zerbi remains a unique figure — a tactician who can make teams play vibrant, attractive football quickly. For that reason, he continues to have admirers in Italy and England, and he is rumoured to be on Tottenham Hotspur’s shortlist to replace Thomas Frank.

However, his turbulent spell in Marseille may serve as a warning. Wherever Roberto De Zerbi goes next, it might not be a long stay.