De Zerbi Walks Away as Marseille's Champions League Humiliation Becomes Untenable

Roberto De Zerbi is reportedly preparing to step away from Marseille, with the Italian manager having offered his resignation as club officials weigh whether to pull the trigger themselves.

What looked like a promising tenure has unravelled spectacularly. A stellar opening season earned Champions League qualification, yet this campaign has been defined by the kind of inconsistency that leaves everyone scratching their heads. Wednesday's 3-0 thrashing at Club Brugge sealed a miserable fate: 25th in the group phase of Europe's premier competition, and an early exit with no further European football to follow.

The fallout has been swift and brutal. Medhi Benatia, the club's sporting director, didn't hold back in his post-match assessment, though his barbs appeared aimed squarely at the playing squad rather than the dugout. "I hope the players understand that tonight was a professional foul," Benatia said. "I've lost matches throughout my career, but I've rarely experienced such shame—conceding six goals across two games. I trust this will have repercussions for the remainder of the season."

By Thursday morning, speculation mounted that Marseille were actively considering removing De Zerbi altogether. The 46-year-old's absence from training that day only fuelled the rumour mill, before Foot Mercato reported he'd voluntarily offered to walk away. Conversations between all parties are said to be ongoing, with an official statement expected imminently.

De Zerbi finds himself on Manchester United's radar as a potential permanent successor, yet his current predicament hardly strengthens his case. French football journalist Julian Laurens expressed little surprise at developments, suggesting the manager's departure felt inevitable given the mounting pressure.

"This is humiliating for him and Marseille," Laurens told TNT Sports' The Goal Show. "His failure was clear—he couldn't motivate the team. They've fielded 30 different starting lineups in 30 games this season. He never found the right formula. That heavy defeat to Liverpool at home last week proved decisive, and frankly, I'm not shocked by how this has unfolded."

Marseille currently occupy third in Ligue 1, seven points adrift of Paris Saint-Germain, yet their European collapse has overshadowed domestic form. Laurens also highlighted the simmering tension between De Zerbi and the French media landscape, which has become increasingly fractious.

"He's been at war with the French press for months now," Laurens explained. "There's been friction at nearly every press conference, week in and week out. We know how emotionally invested he is, and sometimes that intensity can cloud judgment—which perhaps explains his reaction tonight. It's very much in character for De Zerbi."