'We knew' – Marseille president reveals inside knowledge of how Roberto De Zerbi left Brighton

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Marseille president Pablo Longoria said he knew in advance that Brighton and Roberto De Zerbi were parting company at the end of last season.

De Zerbi spent two successful seasons with the Seagulls as he guided them to sixth in the Premier League and to Europa League football for the first time in the club's history.

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Despite topping their Europa League group – one that included Marseille, Ajax and AEK Athens – Albion were knocked out following a painful 4-0 loss in Roma.

Roberto De Zerbi joined Marseille at the start of the season after terminating his contract with BrightonRoberto De Zerbi joined Marseille at the start of the season after terminating his contract with Brighton
Roberto De Zerbi joined Marseille at the start of the season after terminating his contract with Brighton

De Zerbi's relationship then became strained with Brighton and as the team's form slipped, the Italian and the club prepared to part company on the final day of last season.

De Zerbi was hugely popular with the supporters and received an emotional send-off from fans at the Amex Stadium. One month later, he was then installed as the new boss of Marseille.

Longoria, speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe and relayed by Sport Witness, said: "It all starts from an impossible dream, in fact. One day, a friend called me and told me a scoop, a week before it hit the press: ‘Don’t say anything, but De Zerbi is in the process of terminating his contract with Brighton’.

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“We talk with Medhi [Benatia] and decide to call him. Why not try? For several weeks, without having much chance of succeeding, we continued to maintain contact, patiently. And then, one day, he too began to position himself at OM.”

Marseille have enjoyed a good start to life under De Zerbi as they sit third in the table – behind leaders Monaco and second placed Paris SG – with 14 points from their first seven matches.

“He’s a coach with so much potential," Longoria added. "With such a high level, that we had to find an ad hoc project with total alignment between everyone, from the owner to all the managers.

"What Roberto asked of us was precisely this alignment. No, he didn’t demand that everything be done for him. He even wanted to explain his project, his vision, to Frank [McCourt, Marseille owner]."

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