Olympique de Marseille brilliantly dominated Le Havre (5-1) during the 16th day of Ligue 1, with goals from Valentin Rongier, Bilal Nadir, Neal Maupay, Elye Wahi and Ulisses Garcia.
A collective performance which allowed coach Roberto De Zerbi to send a clear message to his players: playing time is earned on the pitch.
De Zerbi awaits proof
After the meeting, De Zerbi insisted on the importance of proving one's worth, citing Valentin Rongier as a role model. “These players must put me in difficulty if they want to shake up the hierarchy, no player is guaranteed to play. Players like Wahi, Brassier are high quality players. They have to prove that they deserve to play and if they do, they will play. When they enter matches where we are leading 3-0 or 4-0, they must win their place. Valentin Rongier is the example, he changed my mind in 5 minutes in Nantes. It doesn't take much, but that little bit is enough to change my mind.” he declared.
Valentin Rongier, returned to his best level after a serious knee injury, perfectly illustrates this state of mind. Author of the first goal against Le Havre, he once again demonstrated his importance in the midfield thanks to an exceptional performance, making the game easier for his teammates and confirming his position as leader in the squad.
