“Once I was aged 13-14, within the AC Milan youth academy, my coach instructed me to begin following Marseille and Chris Waddle,” Roberto de Zerbi discreetly disclosed after the French facet’s remaining recreation of the season.
“That is once I fell in love with Marseille. I began following the membership due to Waddle.” The England winger would win three Ligue 1 titles with Les Phoceens and assist them attain the 1991 European Cup remaining.
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De Zerbi’s revelation adopted a season filled with full of life – and at occasions fiery – information conferences on the Velodrome and the La Commanderie coaching floor. The Italian present in France’s oldest metropolis one thing that mirrored his previous and his personal temperament.
“The town of Marseille and the membership of Marseille are just like me in a method. I used to be in search of an surroundings that would make me dream,” mentioned the previous Brighton boss in early February.
De Zerbi is a pure match for the warmth at Olympique de Marseille. His soccer calls for conviction, and so does town. As native poet Jean-Claude Izzo as soon as wrote: “Right here, it’s important to take sides. Be passionate. Be for, be towards. Simply be, intensely.”
On the finish 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. “I used to be born an extremely,” De Zerbi exclaimed to DAZN solely weeks earlier than.
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It was not a title win – however ending second in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League felt nonetheless dramatic.
The appointment of the passionate Italian was seen as an “inconceivable dream” by membership president Pablo Longoria when he made a name final summer time after De Zerbi departed Brighton.
That dream teetered on the sting of chaos a number of occasions this season, testing the tactical and emotional limits of some of the promising coaches of the previous decade.
‘The Port of Exiles’ – OM’s summer time overhaul
Mason Greenwood scored 21 targets for Marseille in Ligue 1 this season [Getty Images]
“Marseille has all the time been the port of exiles… Right here, anybody who arrives in the future on the port is inevitably at residence,” Izzo additionally wrote about Marseille.
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After an eighth-placed end final season, the membership kicked off a radical overhaul – welcoming an eclectic assortment of misfits and skilled gamers attracted by De Zerbi’s new mission. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Neal Maupay and Adrien Rabiot all arrived citing De Zerbi as an element.
English pair Jonathan Rowe and Mason Greenwood joined the Anglophone contingent on the membership together with Canada worldwide Derek Cornelius.
“The large distinction was Roberto de Zerbi calling me out of the blue. I used to be a bit shocked by it as a result of it is the primary time a supervisor has gone out of his approach to name me and say he desires me,” former Norwich winger Rowe instructed BBC Sport.
“The coach has been a bit extra intricate with the main points: your physique form, the way you go into video games, the way you suppose and keep centered in a recreation. There’s lots of data to soak up.”
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“He is very demanding, the most effective coaches on the planet. He is one of many the reason why I got here right here,” added Greenwood earlier than the ultimate recreation of the season. “We now have a fantastic relationship and he places me in the most effective place in order that I can categorical myself.
“We have additionally needed to study when to be affected person, when to play a bit faster when we now have lots of the ball and break down defences. So he is taught me so much about the way to play my recreation.”
Greenwood joined the membership from Manchester United final summer time in a deal value as much as 31.6m euros (£26.6m). towards him, together with tried rape and assault, had been dropped in February 2023.
“We took the choice internally. OK, there was some opposition, that was goal,” mentioned Marseille membership president Longoria in September. “However on the identical time that gave us energy to perhaps not examine, as a result of I am not a choose, however to make use of all the knowledge to make the most effective resolution, which I believe we did.”
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Greenwood scored twice on his Ligue 1 debut in a 5-1 win over Brest and went on to complete with 21 targets, breaking the report of essentially the most targets in a debut season for a Marseille participant within the twenty first century, forward of Bafetimbi Gomis (20) and Didier Drogba (19).
His targets received 16 extra factors for the membership – the very best of any participant in Ligue 1 this season, based on Opta.
Marseille’s means for attacking explosivity on the pitch below De Zerbi was ample from the beginning of the season. Les Olympiens broke a number of goalscoring and possession information, scoring 74 targets in 34 video games this season, with solely an all-conquering Paris St-Germain facet netting extra in Ligue 1.
Studies of mutiny & a Roman rebirth
Marseille completed 19 factors behind Treble-winners PSG [Getty Images]
But after a run of 5 losses in seven video games, the season would take a flip for the surreal. Following defeat by Reims in March, a report from French newspaper L’Equipe alluded to tensions arising between De Zerbi and his gamers – going as far to recommend a ‘mutiny’ had taken place.
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De Zerbi hit again: “Some folks made me out to be a felony. It isn’t honest. I am a great particular person. My mum known as me this morning and requested: ‘What did you do?'”
“There isn’t any rift between us,” claimed former Brentford and Brighton striker Maupay throughout the identical information convention. “He’s so passionate and dedicated… In households or {couples}, you’ve gotten to have the ability to speak issues by.”
After issues across the staff surroundings, De Zerbi – together with Longoria and sporting director Medhi Benatia – made the collective resolution to take the squad on a coaching retreat to Rome.
OM had been on a staff bonding camp following a defeat earlier within the season by Auxerre, however this ‘ritiro’ – typically a follow for Serie A groups – concerned the staff’s 50-man sporting operation transferring to the outskirts of the Italian capital late within the season.
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“We have thought with the membership about doing every little thing we are able to to succeed in our goal,” mentioned De Zerbi. “It isn’t a punishment – it is merely to assist the staff reconnect. The gamers agreed. It will not change their lives, however it might change their careers.”
Because the world turned its eyes to Rome following the dying of Pope Francis, Marseille discovered a sort of rebirth of their very own within the Everlasting Metropolis. De Zerbi visited the Vatican with membership representatives to pay his respects – earlier than focus switched again to Champions League qualification.
Ping-pong, rooftop barbecues and work on the coaching pitch, away from the prying eyes of La Commanderie, ended up being what was wanted to make the distinction within the remaining video games of the season.
“I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday there – I had by no means been to Italy earlier than,” smiled Rowe. “We actually managed to create higher cohesion and turn out to be extra united.”
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Sixteen targets within the remaining 5 video games of the season earned large wins over Brest and Montpellier, with a victory at Le Havre sparking scenes of celebration. A launch of stress as De Zerbi, his gamers and employees all flooded the away part.
“I consider that is greater than a miracle,” the Italian mentioned afterwards.
“We hung out collectively, had dinner collectively. We skilled much less, however we labored so much on unity and it confirmed on the pitch; it is a household.
“It isn’t true that the gamers had been towards me; that damage me. There was by no means any mutiny.”
Chris Waddle received three league titles with Marseille and was a overwhelmed European Cup finalist in 1991 – Marseille received it for the primary, and solely, time two years later [Getty Images]
‘I like battle, I like controversy’
The primary act of the De Zerbi story at Marseille has proved to be a whirlwind that has reached a passable conclusion for all events: Champions League qualification.
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“I like battle, I like controversy. I believe it is a part of soccer and a part of this membership’s DNA. You possibly can’t change that,” mentioned Longoria at his end-of-season information convention.
“With Roberto, we began a cycle that we set out in a three-year contract. I believe we’re in a great place.
“We wish to discover continuity, let the adrenaline that’s related to this membership die down.”
After a summit held within the US, Marseille confirmed the dedication between Longoria, De Zerbi, Benatia and American proprietor Frank McCourt to proceed working collectively.
And so there shall be a second act to De Zerbi’s odyssey within the south of France, one that can see the coach compete in Europe’s elite competitors for the primary time since his tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk in 2021.
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Greater than 30 years after first falling for the OM of Waddle, will probably be the Italian’s flip to attempt to re-energise Marseille’s proud European heritage.