Future sporting director of Olympique de Marseille, Mehdi Benatia is particularly proud of one thing: of having brought Roberto De Zerbi onto the sidelines of his club last summer.
Following a complicated last season, with the absence of European qualification after a very lackluster championship, OM expected to go through difficult times in the off-season. But under the orders of Pablo Longoria and Mehdi Benatia, Marseille quickly raised its head at the start of the summer by bringing in Roberto De Zerbi to replace Jean-Louis Gasset. Tracked by very large European clubs in recent months, the Italian coach is one of the most bankable coaches of the moment. But then how did he arrive in Marseille in a sporting project without a European Cup? Seduced by the atmosphere at the Vélodrome, by the madness that affects OM, but also convinced by Benatia’s speech, De Zerbi decided to listen to his heart by coming to Marseille. In balance with Sergio Conceicao, the former Brighton coach is now the delight of his future sporting director, Mehdi Benatia, author of a hell of a coup last summer.
De Zerbi “is ready to die for his team”
“I’ve had a lot of coaches: Allegri, Guardiola… De Zerbi asked me the other day which player I was most proud of having brought back to OM. But the biggest blow is the coach. I followed his PL matches. How did I convince him? It’s Marseille, that played a big role. I already knew him. We knew each other well. I was in Dubai, I spoke to him about the project. I took a flight to Milan, to explain it to him over breakfast. I knew there was Manchester United. I also knew why he had not agreed to Manchester United. He made sacrifices to come here. I explained the project to him. He’s a brilliant person. He likes to listen, we discuss everything. He doesn’t need my advice. I’m still learning to watch sessions, I’m having fun. Roberto De Zerbi puts a lot of passion into it, he has a strong character. The first time I spoke to him, I knew what it meant for him to succeed here. I know this project is special to him. When he made his debut after Auxerre… This type of coach looks at the manner, the game. He wants his team to play the way he wants. I know him. I know why he said that. He’s like that, he’s ready to die for his team.”explained, on After Foot, the Marseille leader, who knows that De Zerbi came to Marseille with big objectives, in particular that of competing with PSG in the race for the L1 title.
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