Olympique de Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi has directly linked his future on the Marseille bench to the futures of football director Medhi Benatia and president Pablo Longoria. This is a strong statement following the Moroccan’s recent enigmatic declaration.
‘I don’t know about the next few years. In Marseille, it’s difficult to plan ahead. (…) Before long, you’ll see that there will be other people in our place, and we’ll have to give them time to work. In Marseille, you never have time.’
In the wake of Thursday’s loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophée des Champions (2-2, 1-4 on penalties), Olympique de Marseille’s director of football Medhi Benatia made this enigmatic statement about his future.
De Zerbi links his future to the Benatia-Longoria duo
At a press conference on Monday, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi was asked about the possible impact of Benatia’s departure on his future at OM. The Italian coach, under contract until June 2027, was clear: he will not stay without the Moroccan or without president Pablo Longoria. ‘Benatia loves Marseille, perhaps even more than I do, since he grew up here. He’s the one who brought me here. I’m loyal and fair. So I’ll say it clearly: the day Benatia leaves, I’ll leave too,’ he announced.
“I don’t think he was talking about leaving or not, you’ll have to ask him personally. I came here thanks to Benatia and Pablo Longoria, so if one of them is no longer here, given that they brought me here… The day Benatia leaves, I’ll leave too. And it’s not because I can’t work without him, I’ve already worked without him. But it’s to be fair,” explained De Zerbi.
The Italian does not see the Moroccan leaving immediately
Despite this very clear position, the former Brighton manager was keen to calm things down: he does not feel that Benatia is thinking of leaving OM in the immediate future. “Honestly, I don’t think he was referring to leaving at the end of the season, he didn’t mention it to me, you have to ask him directly. I’m here because Benatia called me. I know how to be fair, give my word and keep it through thick and thin, so if Benatia leaves, De Zerbi will leave 100%,” he concluded. A real clarification.
