Roberto De Zerbi has a 'pressure cooker instead of a brain!' - Marseille job may be 'too big' for Italian coach as pundit takes aim after on-field referee confrontation gets him sent off in PSG win

De Zerbi was booked for protesting a foul in stoppage time, but when he kept going and stepped on to the field, the referee showed him a red card. The drama didn’t derail Marseille’s night, though, as they held firm to claim their first home win over the defending Ligue 1 champions in 14 years.

Speaking on RMC Sport, Riolo said De Zerbi’s constant tension is becoming a problem for the club. "If this team wants to grow with the quality of its players and the coach's playing ideas, he absolutely has to calm down. The problem is, I can't remember the last time I saw him calm. It's as if everything is too big for him, the event is too big, the pressure he's under is too great. He can't play a season like that. Now he has players, enough to make a team, he has choices. He has to put his brain in the fridge from time to time. He can't play matches non-stop with a pressure cooker instead of a brain."

The 46-year-old wasn’t interested in the criticism despite the drama surrounding his red card and instead focused on his team's performance. 

"It’s one of the best days since my arrival,” he said after the. game. "I came here for the Velodrome and to beat PSG, the team that represents power, that has been winning unrivaled for years, which I don't accept in my philosophy. But we haven't done anything so far. The most important thing is Friday in Strasbourg to take another step towards building a great team."

Marseille sit sixth in Ligue 1 with three wins and two defeats. They travel to Strasbourg on Friday before hosting Ajax in the Champions League on September 30.