Reports Roberto De Zerbi has resigned not a surprise to TNT’s Julian Laurens following Champions League exit: ‘he could not motivate the team'

TNT Sports expert Julien Laurens admitted he was "not surprised" by reports Roberto De Zerbi has handed in his resignation as Marseille manager following his side's elimination from the UEFA Champions League. Marseille were the big losers of the most dramatic story of the night, dropping out of the playoff places after Anatoliy Trubin's 98th minute header which saw Benfica stun Real Madrid.

TNT Sports expert Julien Laurens admitted "things were not going right" for Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille, amid reports the Italian handed in his resignation.

Marseille were one of the big losers of gameweek eight in the UEFA Champions League, comfortably losing 3-0 to Club Brugge, and then missing out on the final playoff spot due to goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s dramatic 98th minute header which saw Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2 and usurp them.

The 46-year-old joined Marseille in June 2024 and led them to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and qualification for the Champions League.

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But after consecutive 3-0 thrashings to Liverpool and Club Brugge in that competition, they failed to make the top 24 and, according to TNT Sports sources, that was enough for De Zerbi to hand in his resignation.

Speaking on TNT Sports’ The Goal Show for gameweek eight of the UEFA Europa League, Laurens said: "I have got my phone buzzing, so I suspect this is what is coming through tonight, humiliating yesterday for him and Marseille to lose at Brugge like they did.

"It was his failure very much because he could not motivate the team, it was the 30th game this season with a 30th different lineup in the starting XI.

"He never really found the solution. They were beaten far too easily by Liverpool last week at home and that is what cost them - and I am not surprised because things were not going right."

While the Champions League exit was a blow, particularly the way in which it came about, sitting pretty after six games before capitulating, it has been a different story in the league.

The 1993 European champions sit third in Ligue 1, seven points off leaders Paris Saint-Germain and are the league’s top scorers.

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That has prompted an "emotional" reaction from De Zerbi, according to Laurens.

"It is difficult, he has been at war with the French media for a long time now, really clashing pretty much every press conference, every week," he added.

Highlights: Brugge batter Marseille as De Zerbi's side crash out

Video credit: TNT Sports

"We know how emotional he gets and how emotional he is, and I think sometimes maybe it will come back onto decisions like tonight, but it sounds like a very De Zerbi kind of reaction."

Former Brighton, Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell added that De Zerbi’s exit from Marseille added yet another major name into the hat ahead of the inevitable major changes to management this summer.

The Italian has now managed clubs in Italy, England and France and, after solidifying Marseille and getting Brighton into the Europa League, De Zerbi would certainly not struggle to find another club.

Sidwell said: "I tell you what it does, it just adds another manager to the merry-go-round that is going to possibly happen come now, more so at the end of the season during the World Cup.

"There are some top, top managers out there that are going to be looking for clubs."

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