Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has been branded an ‘a**hole’ by former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, who is now in charge of Canada.
De Zerbi divided opinion while at Marseille, most notably for his public backing of Mason Greenwood. Greenwood had joined Marseille in the summer of 2024 from Manchester United, two years after he was arrested on suspicion of rape, assault, and coercive and controlling behaviour.
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges the following year, citing the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light. He denied all charges.
De Zerbi branded him a ‘good guy’ while at Marseille, before insisting he ‘never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women’ after a backlash from fans when he joined Spurs.
Another way he gained heat during his time at Marseille, meanwhile, was when he furiously confronted one of his players on the training ground last season – when he and midfielder Ismael Kone were held apart by team-mates.
Footage showed Kone being dispossessed in training, with an exasperated De Zerbi stating: ‘Oh my god, when I say reduce the touches, reduce the touches’.
Roberto De Zerbi (pictured) has been braded an ‘a**hole’ by a former Premier League manager Jesse Marsch
De Zerbi clashed with midfielder Ismael Kone during a training session while he was manager of Marseille
‘I can’t play, go get a shower,’ De Zerbi adds. ‘Go get a shower Isma, we are Olympique Marseille’, as he directs the Canadian international to the changing room. As Kone walks away, De Zerbi is seen shouting after the midfielder: ‘Call your agent, call your agent, he comes here’, before repeating the statement.
Kone can be seen turning around in response to the comment with De Zerbi shouting ‘go inside’ as the midfielder responds ‘I didn’t say anything’. Members of coaching staff and players run in to stand between Kone and De Zerbi as the row threatens to escalate.
Speaking on the documentary that showed the footage, De Zerbi claimed the difference in Kone’s level was ‘too big’ for the midfielder to play for the club.
‘He is one of the players with the most potential at Olympique Marseille, but who didn’t always behave well,’ De Zerbi told the documentary. ‘Someone who had highs and lows that were too big for a player who is ready for Olympique Marseille.’
Marsch, however, sees it differently. The Canada manager, who was in charge of Leeds between 2022-23, has fought the corner of his player, taking aim at De Zerbi in the process.
‘It wasn’t easy for him with De Zerbi in Marseille,’ Marsch said. ‘De Zerbi was a real a**hole to him, but he stayed strong. He never doubted himself. He found a new environment, and look at him thriving today. I repeat. De Zerbi behaved like a real a**hole to him.
‘When I took over the reins of Canada, I thought Ismael was a raw player, but full of talent. And since then, I have talked to him a lot about discipline and concentration, and everything that this implies in his daily life: his diet, his sleep habits, his way of training, his way of playing, as well as his overall intelligence.
‘He went to Italy to play for a newly promoted team in a very organised league, and he played an incredibly important role in that team, having an excellent season. Look at the progress he was able to make despite the difficulties.’
Jesse Marsch (pictured) stuck up for his player after an apparently tough time at Marseille
Kone had been De Zerbi’s first signing at Marseille last summer, with the 23-year-old joining in a £15million move from Watford.
Just six months after joining, having made eight league appearances, Kone was loaned to fellow Ligue 1 side Rennes.
Now, he is playing for Sassuolo, where he has scored six times in 33 games this season.
