Roberto De Zerbi Getty Images 05 November 2025, 14:50

Roberto De Zerbi did not hide his disappointment ahead of the Champions League match against Italian side Atalanta. The team came into the game with a massive injury epidemic that seriously hit the club’s ambitions. ​

As Goal reports, the Italian specialist is not at all satisfied with the current situation. Marseille faced not only injuries, but also disqualifications, which makes the selection of the squad almost impossible. ​

“You think I’m happy to play a Champions League match with eight or nine injured players and one suspended? No, not at all,” De Zerby said at a press conference.

According to French media reports, the team’s infirmary is overcrowded. Marseille are without at least seven first-team players, including captain Leonardo Balerdi, along with Timothy Weah, Bilal Nadir, Facundo Medina, Amin Guiry, Hamed Junior Traore and Joffre Kondogbia. ​

De Zerby also criticized the crazy calendar, which he believes is one of the reasons for the personnel collapse. He said that the team was not able to properly prepare for the preliminary game of the championship against Auxerre. ​

“We trained by just walking. We did it by walking because we only played two days ago. It was a way of saying that we prepared for the match without the intensity of a normal training session,” complained the coach.

Despite deep disappointment and difficult circumstances, De Zerby tries to maintain optimism, albeit in a philosophical way. Summing up a difficult period for the club, he added: “The sun will rise again.”