This Saturday, at 9:05 p.m., Olympique de Marseille will face Stade Rennais, at Roazhon Park. The Breton club, 13th in L1, has been coached since November 11, 2024 by an Argentinian who trained with Marseille, namely Jorge Sampaoli.
Present at a press conference this Friday, Roberto De Zerbi was asked about the 64-year-old coach, welcoming his time at OM (March 2021-July 2022): “He’s a great coach, he had good results in Marseille. This is going to be a difficult match, because it is a strong team, too, which has recovered some great players at the start of the transfer window. They are coming off a defeat (2-3 against Nice, January 3), a not very positive moment. But starting again after a winter break, in the middle of the season, is always complicated. It will be a real test for us, we want to continue our good momentum, our positive results. A strong team in front, a strong coach, the meeting will be important. We know very well that everything we have done so far does not count if there is no consistency, continuity in the results. You don’t have to ask yourself too many questions, do calculations, you just have to run, score goals, not concede any.«
“I behave as I am”
Performing well since his arrival at OM, Jorge Sampaoli took the club to 2nd place in L1 the following season, coming very close to playing in the final of the Europa Conference League.
-The current OM coach is not there (yet), but is very close to the Argentinian in terms of behavior. Questioned on the subject, Roberto De Zerbi was unable to say whether it was necessary to be “sanguine » to coach OM: ” I don’t know. I behave as I am. I don’t change from one city to another, I’m like that, with my qualities and my faults, I live football like this, with my character, respecting everyone. »
No need to be sanguine, no, you just need to be competent.
