the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi sets fire to Italy

The news of his arrival in Marseille had been eagerly awaited for several weeks and was made official by the Phocaeans through a press release announcing the signing of a three-season contract: “OM is pleased to announce the signing of the Italian coach for the next three seasons. Aged 45, the Brescia native already has solid experience at the highest level. Promoted to coach at just 34 after a professional career as an attacking midfielder, Roberto De Zerbi quickly rose through the ranks in Italy to Serie A and established his ambitious playing identity at Sassuolo in 2018.”. It’s a very nice move carried out by Pablo Longoria and his team. De Zerbi was one of the most sought-after coaches of the moment after his convincing stint with Brighton. Arriving in September 2022 to take over from Graham Potter, the native of Brescia will have finished his first exercise in a good 6th place, before experiencing more difficulties this season, concluding the exercise in 11th place in the Premier League, without qualifying for a European Cup.

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Announced on the side of FC Barcelona, ​​Manchester United and especially Bayern Munich, it is finally in Marseille that he arrives after having revised his salary expectations downwards. On the Canebière, he will have to revive a club frustrated by a failed season, wearing out all its coaches (Marcelino, Gattuso then Gasset). To do this, the 45-year-old coach arrives with a plethora of staff, notably composed of Giovanni Rossi, former sporting director of Sassuolo, and seven other people. It remains to be seen what squad he will have at his disposal. Despite the absence of the European Cup, the Marseille club should have a competitive team, especially since several players are currently being recruited. On the Italian side, Roberto De Zerbi’s native country, his arrival had the effect of a bomb. Although he has been so coveted by all the big Italian teams over the last 24 months, from Juventus to AC Milan via Napoli, the country of the Dolce Vita remains excited to see its protégé at work on Marseille soil.

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A great ambitious coach

After formative experiences at Foggia, Palermo and Benevento, Roberto De Zerbi gleaned the reputation of a modern and promising coach quite quickly: “De Zerbi is a coach with a strong identity, he has great respect for roles with players and staff, as well as with the press. He is certainly a promising and ambitious coach, now with two important years of international experience behind him he wants to win a trophy.Italian journalist Giacomo Morandin tells us. Indeed, the Italian coach seems to be reaching a decisive moment in his career. Despite the call of big teams, De Zerbi has decided to treat himself to a new intermediate stage in Marseille to perfect his development before taking the reins of a huge Champions League team. A final ambitious project to develop alongside Giovanni Rossi, Pablo Longoria and Medhi Benatia. Roberto De Zerbi’s tactical genius is no longer in doubt: he produces attractive, offensive and effective football, but which can be very energy-consuming, meticulous and complex to assimilate.

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Despite his reputation, Roberto De Zerbi has always rejected the idea of ​​being a philosopher of the game, admitting to mixing his own ideas with those of the coaches who inspire him, notably Pep Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa: “Roberto De Zerbi is above all a great coach. He has an offensive, distinctive, voluntarist style of play, with sometimes spectacular features. He gives great freedom of movement to the attackers. His game does not disdain the use of young talents, such as Raspadori, Traoré and Locatelli but also Turati at the time of Sassuolo. He manages to motivate his teams as best he can and here at Sassuolo we all remember him with great affection for the results obtained, especially in his last year, when he did not miss out on European qualification by a difference of just one goal”tells us Giuseppe Guarino, editorial director of the local media of ChannelSassuoloHe is thus especially known for an offensive style of play, whatever the opposition, which requires a great capacity for adaptation and anticipation from his players.

The other element that comes to us from Italy concerning the De Zerbi touch is his ability to make all the players he manages progress: “He is a coach who leaves his mark, penetrates you, improves the players and there are in fact many players who have had a great relationship with him on and off the pitch. He firmly believes in the strength of his ideas and his teams have a clear, recognizable imprint. He has greatly influenced Italian football and beyond. He is a coach who does not like half measures, who does everything to discuss. You either love him or hate him, but I am convinced that the Marseille fans will love him. I always say: Roberto De Zerbi wears out those who do not have it because wherever he has been he has left a great memory and has made so many of his detractors gnaw at him. He loves attacking and spectacular football, therefore he grants something in defense even going against the Italian tradition, but his teams play Football, with a capital F, so I am convinced that the Marseille people will have a lot of fun next season and will be proud of their team.”explains Antonio Parrotto, journalist director of the media SassuoloNews who also collaborates with TuttoMercatoWeb. At Sassuolo in particular, the Italian coach was able to maximise the potential of Manuel Locatelli, Jérémie Boga, Stefano Sensi, Pol Lirola and Giacomo Raspadori.

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A logical and relevant choice

Seeing a coach coveted by the biggest teams in Europe join a club like OM deprived of the European Cup next season is half a miracle for the people of Marseille. But our Italian neighbors are convinced of the relevance of this decision taken by the former Sassuolo coach: “It is certainly a choice consistent with his career, but at the same time surprising for many. There were several rumors about him: Barcelona, ​​Ajax, Juve… The choice to leave the Premier League was certainly not easy, but it is also a choice of character. In my opinion, Marseille is a place without equal in the world and I think he also wanted to feel a certain type of pressure. If the club knows how to support him, especially in delicate moments, De Zerbi will elevate OM”, continued Italian journalist Giacomo Morandin. An analysis shared by his colleagues.

Beyond his tactical qualities, it is his human skills that can also make all of Marseille salivate. In an environment with a lot of pressure, Roberto De Zerbi knows how to restore order in a group: “On a human level, De Zerbi is a great motivator. I believe that a team like Olympique de Marseille is his ideal size and, at the same time, he is the person most able to bounce back a club, especially after a disappointing championship. The bond between the club and Italian football is strong. And, in any case, beyond the sirens of the big ones, I believe that De Zerbi has embraced a stimulating project, also because Giovanni Rossi, long-time sporting director of Sassuolo, will also arrive in Marseille. You will do a good job with him.”adds Giuseppe Guarino, who got along very well with the new strong man of OM when he was with the Neroverdi.

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But part of the Italian people would also have liked to see De Zerbi take the plunge into the Premier League, without denigrating his decision to go to OM, a new intermediate step which promises to be enriching: “I was hoping to see him at Manchester United for a derby with Guardiola, but I’m not disappointed to see him at OM because I’m convinced that Marseille is a great place for him. He’s moving forward, step by step, and after Brighton, he chose a new stage before aiming for Olympus because I think the next stage will be a super top club. He started from Serie D and in a few years he’s established himself in the great Italian and international football. I think he’s not obsessed with the best clubs in the world, he’s still young, and he’s accumulating experience before the big jump, but sooner or later he’ll get there.”announces Antonio Parrotto.

But Italy warns Marseille

Sometimes considered too impatient, OM supporters should not sound the fire alarm too quickly. De Zerbi’s profile has all the qualities to make OM shine and bring (finally) back to Marseille a trophy, so coveted by OM but also by the Italian coach who only has in his personal list of achievements a Serie C Italian Cup in 2016 with Foggia and a Ukrainian Super Cup in 2021 with Shakhtar Donetsk: “If De Zerbi embodies the spirit of OM, he could well be their springboard at European level. For me, he needs a trophy, then he can become one of the coaches to watch for the coming seasons. Personally, I have great respect for OM, the fans will have to stay close to him and try not to criticize him at the first mistake. If he becomes one with the environment, I am convinced that they will lift a trophy.”, explains Italian journalist Giacomo Morandin. A method that we have largely deciphered in this paper.

The former midfielder who played for AC Milan, Napoli, Monza and Cluj is not his first surprise. His choice to sign for Shakhtar Donetsk and even Brighton had already caused ink to flow and attracted the spotlight on his experience. In this sense, De Zerbi likes to transform risk-taking into strength: “I’m not surprised. De Zerbi likes ambitious projects. This is demonstrated by his career, even with fluctuating results: Foggia, Benevento, Sassuolo, Shakhtar and Brighton. He is a coach who questions himself and when he manages to imprint his idea of ​​football on the team, he makes the difference. I believe that the club has chosen one of the best technicians available on the market.”, also explains Giuseppe Guarino. And the comments made by all the former players who worked with De Zerbi during their career reassured OM supporters, managers and future players.

Our Italian friends are also trying to prepare Marseille fans for some particularities, already implemented in Marseille in just a few weeks. Roberto De Zerbi is very attached to his unique method and his way of working requires a plethora of assistants and right-hand men, something that Pablo Longoria and Medhi Benatia have already understood very well: “Having had the chance to know him, I can say that I am not surprised, just as I was not surprised by the choice of Shakhtar Donetsk a few years ago. De Zerbi is a coach in certain respects special, who carefully weighs his choices, who likes challenges, who takes care of every detail as also evidenced by the arrival of Giovanni Rossi with whom he worked at Sassuolo, who lives each match intensely and I I’m sure he will succeed in creating a great feeling with the supporters and doing something important with the team.”concludes Antonio Parrotto. In any case, Italy will have its eyes fixed a little more on Ligue 1 next season and is showing itself to be much more reassuring than when Gennaro Gattuso arrived in Marseille or Fabio Grosso in Lyon.