Roberto De Zerbi seems to be reaching the top of the road at Marseille.
Ten days after rumours of his resignation swirled across the French media, De Zerbi suffered what is perhaps his most damaging defeat but – a dismal 5-0 defeat in Le Classique, a outcome that leaves their faint hopes of the Ligue 1 title in tatters.
It wasn’t so way back that they’d been talked up as shock challengers. They notched a uncommon victory over PSG within the reverse fixture again in September, whereas an outstanding run of eight wins from 10 Ligue 1 outings noticed them neck-and-neck with the perennial champions come late November.
That run noticed arguably the very best realisation of De Zerbi-ball that we’ve seen thus far. They caught three or extra objectives previous Lorient, Metz, Le Havre, Brest and Good – all of whom couldn’t deal with the depth of their high-risk, high-reward tactical method.
Issues had been promising within the Champions League, too. They solely wanted to keep away from full catastrophe within the remaining two matches they usually’d be via to the play-off spherical.
Even after a pair of stinking shows of their 3-0 defeats to Liverpool and Membership Brugge, Marseille had been nonetheless going via within the remaining seconds of the League Part.
Brugge even displayed a congratulatory message on their massive display screen, just for Benfica’s last-gasp goalkeeper insanity to alter all the pieces.
That second summed up what’s been a completely brutal 2026 for Marseille thus far. The 12 months started with a shock 2-0 defeat to Nantes. They then conceded an equaliser within the final second of the French Tremendous Cup and went on to lose on penalties to PSG.
And now this. Marseille appeared completely shellshocked as PSG toyed with them on the Parc des Princes on Sunday night. They conceded 5. It may’ve been extra.
“It’s a tough patch… we put in an excellent efficiency towards Rennes and Lens, after which it’s whole despair. As soon as once more, I apologise to the followers,” De Zerbi instructed reporters.
“We’ll speak with [sporting director Medhi] Benatia and Longoria to grasp what we are able to do. As a result of these defeats harm, particularly in Paris, particularly on this method.”
De Zerbi has usually spoken of his admiration for Marcelo Bielsa, certainly one of his best influences, who had the same time of it on the Stade Velodrome.
Bielsa’s Marseille, at their greatest, had been a drive of nature. They gained eight successive Ligue 1 outings early in his tenure and spent 14 matchweeks on the prime of the desk, however flamed out spectacularly.
Les Olympiens truly recovered to win their final 4 matches of Bielsa’s one and solely season, however the injury had been executed. They succumbed to a desperately disappointing fourth-place end ultimately.
No less than the apprentice can now say that he’s following within the footsteps of his nice grasp.
There’s nonetheless loads to salvage from this season. Marseille are nonetheless within the Coupe de France. After PSG’s shock exit, they’re arguably the favourites. The title is gone, however Champions League qualification stays eminently achievable.
However you take a look at the previous few weeks, and it’s not possible to flee the sensation that we’re approaching the endgame. As with Bielsa in his lowest moments, you don’t see him getting back from this.
Ligue 1’s loss may quickly be the Premier League’s achieve. Half of the league may very well be on the lookout for a brand new supervisor come the summer season, and the idiosyncratic Italian has always been linked with a return.
English soccer is crying out for De Zerbi’s singularly dogmatic method. Be it exhilarating success or dramatic failure, his soccer by no means fails to captivate.
The Premier League’s new regular has change into stale in his absence. Set items. Lengthy throw-ins. Marginal good points. Profitable your duels. Yawn.
English soccer is begging for an iconoclast to interrupt the mould and ship us from this turbocharged Pulisball.
We will’t see that being Bielsa himself – on the age of 70, and a bit busy for his all-important pre-season – however De Zerbi can be the following neatest thing.
By Nestor Watach
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