Roberto De Zerbi has left Marseille ‘by mutual consent’ just weeks after reports he had offered to resign, a development that casts fresh doubt over Ethan Nwaneri’s loan spell in France and raises immediate questions for Arsenal.
The Ligue 1 club confirmed the decision in a statement which read, “Olympique de Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, have announced the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement.
“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.
“Olympique de Marseille would like to thank Roberto De Zerbi for his dedication, commitment, professionalism, and seriousness, which were particularly evident in the team’s second-place finish in the 2024/25 season.”
The move follows a 5-0 defeat to PSG at the weekend, a match in which Nwaneri faced heavy criticism from fans and media after being withdrawn at half time with Marseille already 2-0 down.
From an Arsenal perspective, the timing is significant. The club agreed the teenager’s loan in part because they viewed De Zerbi as an ideal coach for his development.
Reports in England and France stated that Marseille won the race for Nwaneri because Arsenal valued De Zerbi’s attacking, positional football and his record of working with young players, believing he could provide high-level minutes in a demanding environment that matched Mikel Arteta’s principles.
With De Zerbi now gone, the certainty that underpinned the decision has disappeared.
What happens next is anyone’s guess.