Roberto De Zerbi admitted to sometimes having a little trouble with the praise given to him. Starting from the bottom, the Italian coach of Olympique de Marseille savors every moment in the elite and continues to work seriously to continue his great career.
An attraction in Ligue 1 and very highly rated in Europe, Roberto De Zerbi is making a good debut with OM. If everything has not been perfect, with some failures at home, the Marseille club is second in the standings, seven points behind PSG. Beyond the team's results, the Italian technician has already started to impose his style and works in harmony with Pablo Longoria and Medhi Benatia.
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Questioned this Friday two days before the trip to Geoffroy-Guichard to challenge Saint-Etienne, the former Sassuolo and Brighton player admitted that he had a little difficulty assuming this status of “star” whose merits are praised by other coaches.
“It's a bit embarrassing, it makes me uncomfortable, quite honestly. I wasn't a great player, I didn't have a great playing career,” explained the Marseille coach during his appearance at a press conference. “I started coaching eleven years ago in the Italian fifth division and little by little I arrived in the Premier League and in France in Marseille. So I don't really realize where I arrived.”
“A little uncomfortable and even a little in difficulty”
Without going so far as to feel imposter syndrome, Roberto De Zerbi confided that he sometimes struggles with all the praise his work can receive. But according to him, the best way to not get intoxicated by all this attention and media coverage is to focus on work.
-“Sometimes I'm a little uncomfortable and even a little in difficulty. Sometimes I wonder if they (people) are really talking about me or someone else,” continued the coach of the Marseille team. “But in reality, it's my strength because it allows me to push even more. I'm not satisfied with what I have.”
De Zerbi does not want to spoil what he “built” at OM
Winner of Monaco (2-1) thanks to a penalty from Mason Greenwood on the last day of the championship, OM overtook their Monegasque rival in the standings. But if the Marseille club restarted the machine with two consecutive successes against Lens (3-1) and the Rocher club, Roberto De Zerbi did not forget the criticism after the two hiccups at the Vélodrome against PSG (0-3) and Auxerre (1-3) at the end of October and beginning of November. Enough to keep the Olympian coach's feet on the ground.
“I tell myself that at any moment everything could stop, because football is like that these days. We have two victories in a row, Marseille are second. And maybe in ten days it won't be the same”, finally recalled the 45-year-old Italian. “In order not to lose what we are building, what I have built, we must continue to work hard every day.”
Jean-Guy Lebreton with Florent Germain
