Rebellion, ritiros & Waddle – ‘Ultra’ De Zerbi’s year at Marseille

After the French side’s final game of the season, Roberto de Zerbi discreetly disclosed that his coach told him to “start following Marseille and Chris Waddle” when I was 13-14 when I was in the AC Milan youth academy.

I fell in love with Marseille that year. I started following the club because of Waddle”. With Les Phoceens, the England winger would triumph in the 1991 European Cup final and win three Ligue 1 titles.

De Zerbi’s revelation came after a season filled with upbeat and occasionally stomping news conferences at La Commanderie and the Velodrome. The Italian found in France’s oldest city something that mirrored his past and his own temperament.

“In some ways, the city of Marseille and the club of Marseille are similar to me.” In the beginning of February, the former Brighton boss said, “I was looking for a place that could make me dream.”

De Zerbi is a natural fit for the heat at Olympique de Marseille. Both his team and the city need conviction. Here, you must take sides, as the famous local poet Jean-Claude Izzo once said. Be passionate. Be in favor or oppose. Be yourself with all your heart.

At the end of the season the Italian was caught up in jubilant celebrations, waving a flare with supporters that had greeted the Marseille squad at 4am at Provence Airport. De Zerbi just a few weeks prior to the event, “I was born an ultra.”

Although it wasn’t a title win, it did feel incredibly impressive to finish second in Ligue 1 and make it to the Champions League.

The appointment of the passionate Italian was viewed as an “impossible dream” by club president Pablo Longoria when he made a call last summer after De Zerbi departed Brighton.

“Marseille has always been the port of exiles… Anyone arriving at the port on one day in this place is bound to feel at home,” according to Izzo, who also wrote about Marseille.

The club underwent a radical overhaul after finishing eighth last season, welcoming a mix of misfits and experienced players attracted to De Zerbi’s new project. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Neal Maupay and Adrien Rabiot all arrived citing De Zerbi as a factor.

Along with Derek Cornelius from Canada, English duo Jonathan Rowe and Mason Greenwood joined the Anglophone lineup at the club.

“Roberto de Zerbi called me out of the blue, which made a big difference.” I was a bit taken aback by it because it’s the first time a manager has gone out of his way to call me and say he wants me”, former Norwich winger Rowe told BBC Sport.

Your body type, how you play, how you think and stay focused during a game have all been a little more studied by the coach. There is a lot of information to consider.

“He’s very demanding, one of the best coaches in the world. Before the final game of the season, Greenwood remarked, “One of the reasons I came here.” He places me in the best position possible so that I can express myself and we have a great relationship.

” We’ve also had to learn when to be patient, when to play a bit quicker when we have a lot of the ball and break down defences. He has also provided me with a lot of knowledge about my game.

Greenwood left Manchester United for the club last summer in a deal worth up to 31.6 million euros (£26.66 million). Serious charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped in February 2023.

We internally made the choice. Yes, there was some opposition, but it was objective, according to Longoria, president of the Marseille club. But at the same time that gave us power to maybe not investigate, because I’m not a judge, but to use all the information to make the best decision, which I think we did. “

In his Ligue 1 debut, Greenwood scored twice in a 5-1 win over Brest, going on to finish with 21 goals, breaking the record for the most goals scored in a debut season for a Marseille player in the 21st century behind Bafetimbi Gomis (20) and Didier Drogba (19).

Opta claims that his goals contributed to the club’s 16 additional points, which is the most of any player in Ligue 1 this season.

Yet after a run of five losses in seven games, the season would take a turn for the surreal. A report from French newspaper L’Equipe went as far as to suggest a “mutiny” had occurred following De Zerbi’s defeat by Reims in March.

De Zerbi retorted, “Some people made me appear to be a criminal.” It’s not fair. I have a good personality. What did you do, my mother called me this morning and asked. “

In the same press conference, former Brentford and Brighton striker Maupay claimed, “There is no rift between us.” He is so dedicated and passionate… In families or couples, you have to be able to talk things through. “

De Zerbi, Longoria, and Medhi Benatia collectively decided to take the squad on a training retreat to Rome after concerns about the team’s environment.

Following a defeat earlier in the season by Auxerre, OM had been attending a team bonding camp, but the team’s 50-person sporting operation had to relocate to the edge of the Italian capital late in the season as a result.

” We’ve thought with the club about doing everything we can to reach our objective, “said De Zerbi”. It’s just to help the team reconnect, not as punishment. The players reaffirmed. It won’t change their lives, but it could change their careers. “

Marseille discovered a kind of rebirth in the Eternal City as the world turned its attention to Rome following Pope Francis’ death. Before returning to Champions League qualification, De Zerbi and club representatives paid their respects at the Vatican.

Ping-pong, rooftop barbecues and work on the training pitch, away from the prying eyes of La Commanderie, ended up being what was needed to make the difference in the final games of the season.

I smiled Rowe and said, “I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday there because I had never been there before.” We actually managed to foster better cohesion and unity.

Sixteen goals in the final five games of the season earned big wins over Brest and Montpellier, with a victory at Le Havre sparking scenes of celebration. De Zerbi, his players, and the rest of his staff drew the attention away section, which created tension.

The Italian later said, “I believe this is more than a miracle.”

” We spent time together, had dinner together. It was a family, and we trained less, but we worked very hard on unity on the pitch.

The De Zerbi story’s opening scene at Marseille has turned out to be a whirlwind that has brought about the desired outcome for everyone: Champions League qualification.

“I love conflict, I love controversy. It’s a part of football and the DNA of this club, in my opinion. At his end-of-season press conference, Longoria remarked, “You can’t change that.

“With Roberto, we started a cycle that we set out in a three-year contract. We’re in a good place, in my opinion.

We want to find consistency; don’t let this club’s adrenaline run out.

After a summit held in the US, Marseille confirmed the commitment between Longoria, De Zerbi, Benatia and American owner Frank McCourt to continue working together.

De Zerbi’s odyssey will have a second act in the south of France, one in which the coach will compete for the first time since his 2021 tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk.