OFFICIAL: De Zerbi leaves Marseille as dramatic 2:30am statement issued

Robin Bairner

11 Feb 2026 07:23 GMT
4 min read

Roberto de Zerbi, Marseille, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Marseille have announced that Roberto De Zerbi has departed the club by mutual consent, with the official statement announcing the decision arriving at 2:30am local time.

Article continues under the video

De Zerbi had come under increased pressure at Stade Velodrome in recent weeks following a series of disappointing results, not least the 3-0 loss against Club Brugge in the Champions League that caused OM to miss out on the knockout stages, having seemed all but assured of progression.

His final match, however, was a 5-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain away from home on Sunday.

De Zerbi leaves Marseille by mutual consent

Amid rumours that had built up late into the night, Marseille finally made their announcement well past midnight.

“Olympique de Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, announce the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement,” the statement reads.

“Following discussions involving all stakeholders in the club's management – owner, president, director of football, and coach – it was decided to opt for a change at the helm of the first team. This was a difficult, collective decision, reached after careful consideration and in the best interests of the club to address the sporting challenges of the final stretch of the season.

“Olympique de Marseille would like to thank Roberto De Zerbi for his investment, commitment, professionalism and seriousness, marked in particular by the 2nd place obtained during the 2024/25 season.

“The club wishes him all the best for the rest of his career.”

© IMAGO - Roberto De Zerbi, Marseille's former head coach

What next for De Zerbi?

Despite De Zerbi’s recent struggles at Marseille, the former Brighton manager continues to be linked with a number of top jobs.

Interest from the Premier League remains particularly high, with the Italian one of the names on the Manchester United shortlist as they consider alternatives to Michael Carrick for the permanent job at Old Trafford.

Branded by Pep Guardiola as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years”, there’s also the prospect that he is considered as a replacement for the Spaniard should he leave Manchester City.

De Zerbi’s stock in England remains high thanks to the bright style of football he employed at Brighton, where he was able to mould a team with a possession-based, attacking style, despite not having big names to work with.

“There is no team playing the way they play - it's unique,” Guardiola said of De Zerbi.

“I had the feeling when he arrived, the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great - I didn't expect him to do it in this short space of time.

“He creates 20 or 25 chances per game, better by far than most opponents. He monopolises the ball in a way it hasn't been for a long time.”

With such high-profile supporters, the future continues to look bright for De Zerbi, despite his setback in Marseille.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store