Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille faced off this Sunday at the Parc des Princes in Matchday 21 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. The match ended in a 5-0 victory for PSG. After the game, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi spoke at a press conference.
De Zerbi: “This is the first time in my career that I’ve had a team that’s so inconsistent.”
A team with two faces, capable of anything, how do you explain it?
“I have no explanation, I don’t. That’s the biggest problem. When we start the match, we don’t know what’s going on on the pitch. That’s the truth. These aren’t excuses for not taking responsibility. I take responsibility. Tonight, we played a disgraceful match.” We need to apologize, once again.
A few days ago, we beat Rennes well after two poor matches, and before that, we beat Lens with a very good performance. If I knew how to find consistency, I would. It’s exhausting. It’s the first time in my career that I’ve had a team that’s so inconsistent.
Did you speak to the players after the match? What do you plan to say to them?
I haven’t spoken to anyone yet.
Do you want to speak with management? Are you discouraged? Any questions about your future at OM?
I’m not discouraged, I’m sad. Losing against PSG is no way to play. We need to talk, like after every match. We need to find a solution. But we do talk after every match.
Zerbi said, “There are ways to lose a match.”
A lack of stability in the choices or the squad?
I don’t know. We have players who play a lot, and we didn’t have many changes tonight apart from injuries. I don’t see any changes that could destabilize us. We have players like Nwaneri and Timber, who play because they are strong players with other strengths.
In what area of the game did you lose against PSG? Is it too much of a challenge for Paris?
We fell short in every area. In the first half, we didn’t stick to the plan, and some players didn’t follow instructions. PSG is too strong, we know that. But there are ways to lose a match.
De Zerbi said, “We played like that at the Vélodrome to win, the same way when we were leading during the Champions Trophy.”
Why can’t you get a team that resembles yours at OM?
Good question, I don’t know.
Why a five-man defense? Why take Nwaneri off at halftime?
We have to remember that we played like that at the Vélodrome to win, and the same way when we were leading in the Champions Trophy. For me, that’s not the important point. When we played with a back four in the second half, we were under even more pressure. Nwaneri wasn’t at his best, and the team wasn’t helping him. He’s young; we have to protect him.
Why is De Lange starting? Will the second half of the season be difficult if we want to reach the top three?
I didn’t see Rulli looking calm after his mistakes. He suffers when things aren’t going well. I thought I could help him regain his composure and help the team. The problem with reaching the top three isn’t the competition, but which Marseille we’ll face. If it’s the same Marseille we’ll see against Lens, we’ll be fine. If it’s the same Marseille we’ll see against Bruges or tonight, then it will be complicated.
