Canada national team coach Jesse Marsch has launched a public attack on Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi.
Canada national team coach Jesse Marsch has launched a stunning public attack on Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi, accusing the Italian of treating Sassuolo midfielder Ismael Kone appallingly during their time together at Olympique Marseille, in comments that have generated considerable attention across the football world.
Marsch was speaking on the Call It What You Want podcast on CBS Sports Golazo America when he was asked which player had improved the most under his stewardship with the Canadian national team. His answer was Kone, a 23-year-old who has flourished this season at Sassuolo in Serie A, scoring six goals in 32 league appearances after joining on loan for €2.5 million before the move was made permanent for a further €10 million.
But the praise for Kone quickly became a pointed critique of De Zerbi, who publicly humiliated the midfielder during a training session at Marseille, telling him loudly to leave the field and contact his agent to find another club after he failed to follow instructions correctly. Marsch did not hold back in his assessment of how that episode affected the player. He said (h/t Football Italia):
“It wasn’t easy with De Zerbi and Marseille. De Zerbi was a real, real unpleasant person with him, and he stayed strong. He never doubted himself. He found a new situation, and now look at him flourishing. Let me reiterate. De Zerbi was a real a**hole with him.”
Marsch was careful to frame the wider picture around Kone’s character and development, acknowledging the role the player’s own discipline and mentality played in his resurgence. He continued:
“Going to Italy and playing for a team that was newly promoted, and having to fight through a situation like that in a very organised league, he’s played an incredibly important role. Not just from what I’ve done with him and what the national team has done with him, but also what he’s been able to achieve in his career, and the steps he’s been able to make through difficulty.”
De Zerbi is currently in a tense situation with Spurs
The comments arrive at an awkward moment for De Zerbi, who is currently navigating one of the most high-pressure periods of his managerial career as he attempts to drag Tottenham out of the Premier League relegation zone with three games remaining.
De Zerbi’s methods are demanding and uncompromising by his own admission, and not every player will respond positively to that environment. Kone’s story, as told by Marsch, is a reminder that the same intensity which makes De Zerbi an exciting and transformative coach can also create friction that some players are better equipped to handle than others.