Mason Greenwood loses his mentor as Roberto De Zerbi leaves Marseille after Le Classique humiliation vs PSG

PSG romped to victory in Le Classique at the Parc des Princes, scoring five goals without reply, in a match that ended up being De Zerbi's last in charge of Marseille. The Italian questioned the mindset of his players after the match and also said sorry to fans for their performance. He told reporters: “It's a rough patch... we put in a good performance against Rennes and Lens, and then it's total despair. Once again, I apologise to the fans.” The defeat followed on from Marseille's early exit from the Champions League that brought speculation De Zerbi had offered to quit as boss. De Zerbi did end up staying on for three more games but his time at the club is now up.

His departure will likely come as a big blow to star Marseille talisman Mason Greenwood, who has emerged as one of Europe's most prolific forwards under the Italian's tutelage.

A club statement read: "Olympique Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, have announced the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement. Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club's management—the owner, president, director of football, and coach—it was decided to make a change at the helm of the first team.

"This was a difficult collective decision, taken after careful consideration in the best interests of the club, in order to respond to the sporting challenges of the end of the season. Olympique Marseille would like to thank Roberto De Zerbi for his dedication, commitment, professionalism, and seriousness, which were particularly evident in the team's second-place finish in the 2024/25 season. The club wishes him all the best for the rest of his career."

De Zerbi's exit comes just two weeks after club president Pablo Longoria told The Telegraph the coach was a "genius" and that he would be happy for him to stay at the club for a long time.

"He’s recognised as one of the most creative coaches in Europe and that kind of thing for the players is important. First of all, it’s normal that big clubs are trying to recruit Roberto. Because when you have one of the best, you have to expect that the big clubs, they are coming, because this is Roberto. At the same time, I need to play my card, to share the same level of enthusiasm about the future," he said.

“It’s about aligning all the personal incentives that is not money, all together. It’s seeing the possibilities that we are all on the same page and seeing the great potential of this club. This is the most powerful message. This is the best argument to have a long ride together.

"I would be more than happy if Roberto stays for a long period. I would like Roberto to be like [Diego] Simeone at Atlético [Madrid, where he has been for 15 years]. It’s a big synergy. As a fan, you always want to win. But you want to see people who represent you win. And I think Roberto represents the people here."

Marseille are expected to announce an interim coach to take charge of the team for their next game against Strasbourg following De Zerbi's departure, according to RMC Sport. Assistant manager Jacques Abardonado and even Romain Ferrier, the reserve team coach, are two names in the frame already.

Meanwhile, De Zerbi - who has previously been linked with Manchester United - could be heading back to the Premier League, according to talkSPORT. The 46-year-old is "admired" by the Tottenham hierarchy, with current manager Thomas Frank's future at the club in serious doubt after a poor run of results that has left the team down in 16th place in the Premier League table.

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