The win couldn’t have come at a better time. Marseille’s stumbles in Europe had sparked talk of a crisis in the French press, with pundits calling for accountability. Jerome Rothen, the outspoken former PSG winger, didn’t hold back earlier this week. Speaking on RMC Sport, he blasted both De Zerbi and his players.
“OM’s results are ridiculous, that’s the reality,” he said. “They’re struggling and in a group of teams that are currently eliminated and look more like Europa League teams than Champions League teams . Let’s call a spade a spade. When you look at De Zerbi’s record, it’s 10 Champions League matches and one win. That sums it up. Tactically, he doesn’t have the tools, he can’t find the ingredients and the skills to push OM to be better. He was outmanoeuvred by Juric, the Atalanta coach. There was a casting error.”
He further added, “Who recruited and built this team? When you see OM’s resources, which are not Atalanta’s resources, and you see such a difference in performance and technical execution. In yesterday’s match, apart from Greenwood and Rulli, the rest is useless. The players who were there yesterday, who have special statuses and who are highlighted like [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg. They highlight that he is an experienced player, but he is an average player! You look at his big matches in the Champions League and you will see that he is nothing.”