Manchester United have been linked with Roberto De Zerbi again in their search for a new permanent head coach, with the former Brighton manager potentially on the market soon.
Marseille coach Roberto de Zerbi could lose his job after an early Champions League exit (Image: Jean-Francois Monier/AFP)
Roberto De Zerbi is said to be at risk of being sacked by Marseille following the club’s early exit from the Champions League, just weeks after being touted as Manchester United’s favorite.
The former Brighton chief, 46, will rejoin the French giants in the summer of 2024 and his stock in the Premier League remains high on the back of an impressive stint with the Seagulls. However, manager De Zerbi is at “great risk” of being sacked after failing to lead Marseille through the Champions League.
RMC Sport claim that talks are underway to announce the Italian’s departure due to anger over Marseille’s disastrous 3-0 defeat at Club Brugge on Wednesday night. This result ended the club’s hopes of advancing to the playoff round.
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It remains to be seen whether Marseille will pull the trigger, but the club’s sporting director Mehdi Benatia did not say anything after the game, although he appeared to direct his anger at the players rather than De Zerbi.
“I want our players to know that tonight was a professional foul. I’ve lost games in my career, but I’ve rarely felt that sense of shame conceding six goals in two games. I hope this carries over into the rest of the season,” he said.
Michael Carrick has impressed since taking over at United, but may not be able to secure the head coaching job permanently (Image: (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images))
If De Zerbi is sacked by Marseille, it could create an interesting scenario for Manchester United, who are set to appoint a new long-term head coach in the summer.
Following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, Michael Carrick was handed the reins on a contract until the end of the season, and in his first two weeks in charge he achieved impressive results, defeating both Manchester City and Arsenal.
De Zerbi won many fans during his time in the Premier League with Brighton (Image: Getty Images)
However, with numerous reports claiming that De Zerbi is interested in the Old Trafford hierarchy, United are expected to be permanently searching for another manager to replace Amorim.
And his availability could be a factor if United decide to act on their admiration for the manager, who did a fine job at Brighton before moving abroad.
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