February 11 – Olympique Marseille have parted company with Roberto De Zerbi days after a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, bringing an abrupt end to a tenure that had begun with promise but unravelled sharply in recent weeks.
The nine-time French champions confirmed this morning that they had ended their collaboration by “mutual agreement”.
The decision follows Sunday’s chastening night at the Parc des Princes, a result that restored PSG’s two-point lead over Lens at the top after 21 rounds and left Marseille down in fourth.
That defeat capped a damaging spell for OM, having been dumped out of the Champions League group stage after a 3-0 loss at Club Brugge two weeks ago. The Italian had apologised to supporters after the PSG rout, acknowledging the scale of the setback against the club’s fiercest rivals.
De Zerbi got off to a good start in France – placing 2nd in the league last season – but ultimately failed to keep that momentum going despite getting the best out of disgraced England attacker Mason Greenwood, who leads the Ligue 1 golden boot race with 13 goals.
In a statement, the club said the decision had been a collective call taken at senior level.
“Following consultations involving all stakeholders in the club’s leadership – the owner, president, director of football and head coach – it was decided to opt for a change at the head of the first team,” Marseille said. “This was a collective and difficult decision, taken after thorough consideration, in the best interests of the club and in order to address the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”
There was no immediate announcement regarding a successor ahead of Saturday’s league fixture against Strasbourg.
The departure adds another chapter to a turbulent period under American owner Frank McCourt, who purchased the club in 2016. Despite significant investment and flashes of progress, Marseille have struggled to establish continuity.
A revolving door of coaches and periodic crises – some spilling beyond boardroom tension into supporter unrest – have defined much of the modern era.
De Zerbi leaves having shown what was possible last season, but undone by a sharp downturn at precisely the point the campaign demanded resilience. For Marseille, the search for stability begins again.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]