Roberto De Zerbi has left Marseille in the wake of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. The nine-time French champions said on Wednesday that they had ended “their collaboration by mutual agreement.”
The heavy loss Sunday at the Parc des Princes restored PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille fourth. De Zerbi’s team also endured an embarrassing 3-0 loss at Club Brugge two weeks ago that resulted in Marseille exiting the Champions League.
De Zerbi, who had apologised to Marseille fans after the loss against the club’s bitter rivals PSG, joined Marseille as head coach in 2024 after two seasons at Brighton. After tightening things tactically in Marseille during his first season, his recent choices had left many observers puzzled.
“Following consultations involving all stakeholders in the club’s leadership – the owner, president, director of football and head coach – it was decided to opt for a change at the head of the first team,” Marseille said. “This was a collective and difficult decision, taken after thorough consideration, in the best interests of the club and in order to address the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”
De Zerbi led Marseille to second last season. The club did not immediately announce a replacement for De Zerbi before Saturday’s league match against Strasbourg.
Since the American owner Frank McCourt bought Marseille in 2016, the former powerhouse of French football have failed to find stability, with a succession of coaches and crises that sometimes turned violent .
Marseille dominated domestic football in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were the only French team to win the Champions League before PSG claimed the trophy last year. They have not won the league since 2010.