Roberto De Zerbi, OM coach, hopes that the victory against Monaco (2-1) on Sunday at the Vélodrome will mark “the start of an important story” with the public. The people of Marseille are all relieved by this liberating success.
The OM players breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle of their match against Monaco (2-1) on Sunday. They finally signed their second victory of the season at home in six matches, a little less than two months after the first (against Nice, 2-0, on September 14). And that freed Roberro De Zerbi, the Marseille coach.
“Here we do a different sport, it’s not like in other cities”
“I hope this will be the start of an important story at the Vélodrome,” said the Italian after the meeting. “Many of us came to Marseille for that. It was a shame not to be able to express ourselves. We had a mental block, which did not allow us to play calmly and with lucidity. There was a fear of harm to do and it's difficult to play like that.”
“We weren’t ourselves,” he added. “This evening (Sunday) on the other hand, even with a few mistakes, I saw my players doing what we have been training for since July 8, that is to say playing with courage, organization, fighting, running , try, take risks, press high This is the team I see every day. It makes me happy to see my players express their qualities. I felt responsible for not allowing them to give 100%. . I regretted seeing them give only 20 or 30% here I hope we found the right route to play here. We play a different sport here, it's not like in other cities. But it's also more beautiful to play here. .”
“We needed a victory at home”
Geoffrey Kondogbia, Marseille midfielder, joined his coach even if he assures that he did not have too much doubt in the face of these difficulties at home. “We have nothing to be worried about,” he said. “We started the championship with confidence, that was the case today. We also needed a victory at home, which we lacked a little. Overall, we didn't have what it takes to be worried but today, it's a great satisfaction.”
According to him, this rise in power is above all a question of patience. “We tend to forget that it takes time in life, like in football,” he adds. “There is a new group in place, new methodologies to assimilate but since the start of the season, we have seen that we are digesting it rather well. The results are there, it's up to us to continue. Above all, we must not lift the foot.”
