MARSEILLE: Olympique de Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi has threatened to quit the Ligue 1 side after their dreadful run at home continued on Friday with a 3-1 loss to AJ Auxerre in a league match at the Stade Velodrome.

Marseille are second in the Ligue 1 standings but have won just one of five home games this season. They have lost their last two matches, conceding three goals in each.

The Italian coach, who was appointed coach in June, told reporters after the match he had told Marseille president Pablo Longoria: “If I’m the problem, I’m ready to leave. I’ll leave the money and hand back my contract.

“I come from the street, I’m direct, I don’t talk for the sake of talking,” said the 45-year-old former Brighton & Hove Albion manager.

“I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome. And I can’t get the players to give here what I see in training and in away games. It’s my fault, it’s my responsibility.

“Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to be able to pass on to the people who work with me what I think about football. And I can’t do that.”

Marseille were three down by half time as Lassine Sinayoko, Gaetan Perrin and Hamed Traore scored for Auxerre. Mason Greenwood reduced the deficit from the spot after the hour for his seventh goal of the league season.

Sinayoko gave the visitors the lead on 10 minutes after an error by defender Lilian Brassier.

Then two goals in two minutes immediately before the interval put Auxerre in a commanding position at the Velodrome.

First, Perrin doubled the lead on 43 minutes as Sinayoko turned provider then Marseille gave the ball away again and Traore found the back of the net through goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli’s legs.

Greenwood struck back in the 65th minute from the spot, after a handball against Clement Akpa.

“Leading 3-0 at the break was something we’d never have imagined,” said Auxerre coach Christophe Pelissier. “We wanted to defend well on the inside and quickly burst down the flanks. We did that perfectly and effectively in the first half.”

The result sends Auxerre into the European spots as they jumped up to sixth place on 16 points.

Marseille remain in second place, six points behind bitter rivals Paris St Germain, but could fall out of the top three by the end of the weekend.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024