Roberto De Zerbi has left his role as manager of Olympique de Marseille by mutual consent, the French club have announced.
The decision comes following a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of rivals Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday and 3-0 losses to Liverpool and Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, which saw them miss out on the play-offs.
De Zerbi was appointed manager of the Ligue 1 club in the summer of 2024 and guided them to a second-placed finish last season.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss departs the Stade Velodrome with Marseille sitting fourth this time around, 12 points adrift of leaders PSG, while they are in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France.
Roberto DE ZERBI during French Cup match between Marseille and Rennes at Orange Velodrome on February 3, 2026 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Hugo Pfeiffer/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
“Olympique de Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, have announced the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement,” the club said in a statement.
“Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club’s management – the owner, president, director of football, and coach – it was decided to make a change at the helm of the first team.
“This was a difficult collective decision, taken after careful consideration in the best interests of the club, in order to respond to the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”
The pressure really started to mount on De Zerbi following Marseille’s Champions League exit, with the French side missing out on goal difference after defeat at Brugge.
The elimination quickly led to widespread reports that the Italian was ready to offer his resignation from the club.
De Zerbi joined the French side following two seasons at Brighton, while he has also had managerial roles at Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk.
The 46-year-old guided Brighton to sixth in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign, the club’s highest-ever top-flight finish, which secured them European football for the first time.
