Roberto De Zerbi has expressed his frustration and hinted at stepping down as manager of Marseille, just months after taking over the role. The Italian's potential departure comes after a 3-1 defeat to Auxerre at the Velodrome, a result that has left both him and the club’s supporters deeply disappointed. Despite sitting second in Ligue 1, Marseille is now six points behind Paris Saint-Germain, with PSG having the opportunity to extend that gap further when they face Angers.
De Zerbi's tenure at Marseille has been far from smooth, with the team struggling to find consistency at home. The defeat to Auxerre was particularly crushing, as it came against a newly promoted team. It also marked Marseille’s first back-to-back home losses in Ligue 1 since February 2023, a worrying sign for a club with high expectations. This season, Marseille has only earned five points from five home matches, an underwhelming tally that leaves them ahead of only Angers and Montpellier in terms of home form.
The loss to Auxerre highlighted the team’s defensive vulnerabilities, as they conceded three goals at home for the first time since a defeat to Nîmes in August 2018. A visibly upset De Zerbi took responsibility for the result, stating that if he is the cause of the team's struggles, he would be ready to leave. “If I’m the problem, I’m ready to leave,” he said. “I’ll leave the money and hand back my contract.” These comments have raised questions about his future at the club, as the manager grapples with the pressure of delivering results.
De Zerbi has admitted that he has struggled to replicate the strong performances seen in training when it comes to matchdays, particularly at the Velodrome, which he described as the reason he joined Marseille in the first place. "I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome," he remarked. The inability to turn promising training sessions into matchday success at such a crucial time has left him disappointed and questioning his ability to inspire the team.
The defeat has intensified the scrutiny on De Zerbi's managerial approach and his future at the club. Marseille’s home form is a growing concern, and with their aspirations of challenging PSG for the title, the pressure is mounting on De Zerbi to turn things around quickly. His comments about resigning show just how much the recent setbacks have taken a toll on him, adding uncertainty to the club's already turbulent season.
