The China Mail - Marseille aim to pick up pieces after De Zerbi departure

Italian firebrand Roberto De Zerbi left the club "by mutual agreement" in the early hours of Wednesday after just over 18 months in charge, and in the wake of a historic hammering by Paris Saint-Germain.

At the end of January De Zerbi insisted he felt ready to stay for "five or six more years" at the Velodrome, but the recent unravelling has been remarkable.

It really began with the humiliating exit from the Champions League on the final day of the league phase, when a 3-0 defeat away to Club Brugge combined with a 4-2 win for Benfica against Real Madrid saw Marseille miss out on qualification for the play-offs on goal difference to the Portuguese side.

They then threw away a two-goal lead to draw at Paris FC before the PSG debacle, for which De Zerbi -- who led OM to second place in France last season -- said he had "honestly no explanation".

The latter result left them fourth in Ligue 1, 12 points behind league leaders PSG, as well as three points adrift of Lyon in the third and final automatic Champions League qualifying spot.

De Zerbi appeared to have lost the dressing room at a club which never seems far away from a crisis.

"When a coach goes, it's like losing a member of your family," sporting director Medhi Benatia told sports daily L'Equipe. "It always hurts. He is far from being the only one to blame."

Marseille are through to the French Cup quarter-finals so have much still to play for this season. However, there had been real hope that De Zerbi was the man to install them as a force again in the Champions League, and end a trophy drought going back to 2012.

Instead they are now searching for their eighth permanent coach since Rudi Garcia left after almost three years in charge in 2019.

Pancho Abardonado, a member of De Zerbi's backroom staff, will now take charge of the team in Saturday's game against Gary O'Neil's Strasbourg, who come into the weekend in seventh place.

While former Brighton and Hove Albion boss De Zerbi could now make a return to the Premier League, Marseille are on the lookout for a coach who can finally have a lasting impact amid a volatile environment in the south of France.

Among the contenders for the job is Habib Beye, the French-born former Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Senegal defender.

Now 48, Beye is an ex-Marseille captain who played for the club from 2003 to 2007. Conveniently, he is available having been sacked by Rennes on Monday.

Player to watch: Ousmane Dembele

Last year's Ballon d'Or winner appears to be coming back to his best form with a brace against Marseille last week leaving Dembele on six goals in nine games in 2026, and taking him to a half-century for PSG.

On Friday he goes back to face Rennes, the club where he broke through as a teenager a decade ago. Then next week PSG head to Monaco for the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie, as Luis Enrique's side dream of retaining the European Cup.

Key stats

5 - Marseille's 5-0 defeat away to PSG last weekend was their biggest ever loss against their great rivals.

7 - PSG have won their last seven Ligue 1 games, their longest such streak this season.

12 - Lyon have won 12 games in a row in all competitions. Can they make it a lucky 13 against Nice on Sunday?

Fixtures (kick-offs GMT)

Friday

Rennes v Paris Saint-Germain (1800), Monaco v Nantes (2005)

Saturday

Marseille v Strasbourg (1600), Lille v Brest (1800), Paris FC v Lens (2005)

Sunday

Le Havre v Toulouse (1400), Lorient v Angers, Metz v Auxerre (both 1615), Lyon v Nice (1945)

S.Wilson--ThChM