Roberto De Zerbi says he will stay, as even bombings by Putin couldn’t make him “run away”

Olympique de Marseille FC head coach Roberto De Zerbi has made it clear now that he is not leaving the club, despite the disappointing patch of recent matches. This comment is not sudden as he previously striked air saying he was ready to leave if needed, and now is saying differently after the international break. He even linked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombing of Kyiv as a reference to the reason for his choice not to leave without a fight.

Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi previously said in the post-match press conference after Marseille FC’s 1-3 loss to Auxerre, “If the problem is me, I’m ready to leave. I’m leaving without the money, I don’t care about the rest. I don’t want to make excuses and talk nonsense.,” This statement came just after the game, as a result of a string of poor results. Marseille have won only two of their last six games, losing three and drawing one.

Now, De Zerbi seems to have changed his mind and is looking convinced to change the poor form his squad is in. Zerbi further went on to say that they don’t accept the Auxerre. He said, “Me, the players, and the club in general, do not accept the match against Auxerre,” He further said, “On the pitch, it was not enough. I did not use strong words. I just assumed my responsibilities. We played five matches at the Velodrome: one victory, two draws and two defeats. I assume my own responsibilities.”

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What does Roberto De Zerbi say about Putin?

Zerbi also said that he believes in the team, and will not be “running away”. He even drew reference to his experience while coaching Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine, from 2021 to 2022, a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to call war against Ukraine, by bombing the city of Kyiv. Roberto De Zerbi tried to assert that even in the worst, war-like situations, he hasn’t left the club he was committed to, so the question of him leaving Olympique de Marseille FC only after a short spell of poor, disappointing results isn’t happening, and instead the team will rise again.

The 41-year-old Italian tactician said (as per Goal.com), “If you think that I am going to resign, that it is my idea, I really want to emphasise that I am not running away. I am staying here, I did not run away from Shakhtar even when Putin launched bombings in Kyiv. I believe in this Marseille team, in the players that I train. I am not going anywhere else.”

Olympique de Marseille’s performance in 2024-25 so far

Marseille are competing better in Ligue 1 this time, actually way better than last season, where they finished eighth. This time, they are standing tall at the third spot, after a promising start, and it’s only the poor results in the past six games before the November international break that made matters tense. After the short break, the team is expected to fight back and return with the form it started with. Roberto De Zerbi has been managing the main team since only July this year and is already doing a great job, at least stats say so.

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