Roberto De Zerbi will not return to Serie A anytime soon after Milan refused to offer him a contract upon his breakup with Brighton & Hove Albion. Instead, the former Sassuolo manager will follow in the footsteps of Gennaro Gattuso and try his luck in Ligue 1.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says it’s a matter of days, if not hours, before the 45-year-old pledges his future to Olympique Marseille. Only the final details are missing before the highly-rated manager assumes the reins at the Stade Velodrome, with Les Olympiens preparing to submit the paperwork.
De Zerbi will replace Jean-Louis Gasset in the dugout. He will not be the first manager to take charge of Marseille after coming through the ranks in Serie A. Before Gattuso, Igor Tudor, who recently left Lazio by mutual consent, enjoyed a decent season in France. He returned to Italy football in mid-March but didn’t stay for long.
There’s a feeling De Zerbi will coach in Serie A again at some point. His reputation took a hit toward the end of his tenure at Brighton as the Seagulls suffered a notorious fall from grace in 2023/24. However, his football philosophy and style make him among the most exciting young coaches.
Several Serie A clubs, including Milan, were interested in luring him back to his homeland last year. But his stature derailed, and the interested parties deserted as a result. Marseille will give De Zerbi the benefit of the doubt and a chance to reignite his faltering career.
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