Roberto De Zerbi has offered to leave his position as Marseille head coach if he is deemed to be “the problem” behind the club’s struggles at home.
Marseille currently sit second in the Ligue 1 table but defeat to newly-promoted Auxerre left De Zerbi’s side six points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain having played a game more.
They have won only once at the Stade Velodrome this season with the 3-1 reverse on Friday night a second defeat in succession in front of their own fans.
“If I’m the problem, I’m ready to leave. I’ll leave the money and hand back my contract,” De Zerbi said after the game in quotes reported by Reuters.
The Italian only joined the French club at the end of June.
“I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome. And I can’t get the players to give here what I see in training and in away games. It’s my fault, it’s my responsibility,” he added.
“Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to be able to pass on to the people who work with me what I think about football. And I can’t do that.”
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De Zerbi departed Brighton by mutual consent at the end of the 2023-24 campaign with former St Pauli head coach Fabian Hurzeler later confirmed as his successor.
The Athletic reported the irreconcilable differences between De Zerbi and owner-chairman Tony Bloom about how the club should operate in the transfer market as the key issue that led to his departure.
Before joining Marseille, De Zerbi held discussions with Manchester United regarding the possibility of replacing Erik ten Hag. He was also considered an unlikely candidate to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
Marseille are next in action away at Lens on November 23, following the international break.
(Christophe Simon/AFP via Getty Images)
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