'I'm not a criminal or delinquent!' - Roberto De Zerbi reveals his mother became distressed after reports Mason Greenwood & Marseille dressing room turned on manager

The reports, originating from French outlet L’Équipe, claimed that De Zerbi’s strict and uncompromising methods have caused friction within the Marseille dressing room. As the team endures a difficult run in Ligue 1 — losing four of their last five matches - concerns have surfaced that the squad is beginning to lose faith in his approach.

Tensions reportedly reached a boiling point after Marseille’s 3-1 defeat to Reims. According to insider accounts, De Zerbi expressed his frustration by refusing to lead the following training session, allegedly stating, “I won’t train you today.” In response, the players are said to have defiantly replied: “Then we won’t train either.”

The situation painted a picture of growing discontent within the team, with De Zerbi’s authoritative leadership style seemingly clashing with the expectations of some players. These whispers of a mutiny have cast a shadow over the club's immediate future and prompted questions about whether the squad remains united behind the manager.

Facing mounting pressure, De Zerbi pushed back strongly against the narrative in a public statement, making it clear that he refuses to accept being portrayed as a villain.

“I’ve had a very difficult week, like everyone else," he told reporters. "I’m going to speak clearly about everything that has been said and written. I want to get the best out of my players and we’ve done some good things this year.

“I always make my decisions for the club. The things that happened this week are normal things that happen everywhere else. Pablo and Mehdi supported me, the players, many of them, even those who don’t like to talk. They all came to talk to me, to tell me they were with me. Since Tuesday’s training, I have been observing, the coach can’t talk every day. But I do not accept that we do things below our maximum limit. With my extreme methods, I try to lead OM to our final objective. Some people make me out to be a criminal, it’s not fair, I am a good person."

De Zerbi revealed that his mother had called him in distress after reading the headlines.

"My mum called me this morning and asked me: what did you do? Making out that I was a criminal and a delinquent when I’m not," he said.

De Zerbi confirmed he remains aligned with Mehdi Benatia, dismissing suggestions that the sporting director had to mediate a divided locker room.

"At the club, they tell me I’m too nice," he added. "Mehdi Benatia, I’m united with him. I read that he had a mediating role? It annoyed me, I don’t have any players against me, it’s not true. I don’t want to be liked by everyone."

Despite the chaos off the pitch, Marseille will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to host Toulouse this weekend. With Mason Greenwood and other senior players set to return to action, all eyes will be on how the team responds - and whether De Zerbi can steady the ship after a tumultuous week.