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Roberto De Zerbi has claimed he rejected Manchester United to join Olympique de Marseille, as per reports.
Before pulling the trigger on Erik ten Hag mid-season, INEOS also considered parting ways with the Dutchman over the summer, with reports suggesting they held talks with several managers, including Thomas Tuchel.
Former Brighton and Hove Albion boss De Zerbi was also linked with the United job, having turned the Seagulls into one of the most intriguing sides in the first phase of the game.
The way Brighton baited teams into unsuccessfully pressing them during the build-up highlighted the Italian’s tactical acumen, making him one of the most attractive managerial names in the market.
However, United eventually decided to stick with Ten Hag, and De Zerbi moved to France to manage Marseille.
After a promising start to their Ligue 1 campaign, third-placed Marseille have slowed down under De Zerbi, leading to some bold claims from both the manager and media.
After the Phocaeans’s 3-1 defeat against newly promoted AJ Auxerre, De Zerbi underlined his frustration by telling the press: “If I’m the problem, I’m ready to leave. I’ll leave without the money, I don’t care about all the rest.”
His mood in the dressing room was no better, to say the least.
Roberto De Zerbi turned down Manchester United before moving to Marseille
According to L’Équipe (via Getfootballnewsfrance), the 45-year-old used an overhead projector to show a contract offer from United. The finer details (such as his potential salary at Old Trafford) were blurred out.
The report further claims that he told his players, “This is where I could have been, but I put my passion before money. I came to Marseille for the passion.”
It will be interesting to see how Marseille stars would react to the alleged passionate speech from De Zerbi and how long the Italian would remain at the club.
As far as United are concerned, that ship has passed for him, with the Mancunians opting to bring in Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim to spearhead their project.