French newspaper L’Equipe reports that Roberto De Zerbi refused to train Marseille players on Monday after a 3-1 loss against strugglers Reims, causing a strong reaction from the team.
Milan target De Zerbi had a massive fallout with the Marseille squad on Monday, two days after a 3-1 away defeat at Reims.
According to L’Equipe, the Italian tactician was so disappointed with the team’s performance over the weekend that he refused to lead a training session on Monday.
De Zerbi’s decision sparked a furious reaction from the team, with players refusing to train under the Italian coach’s staff members.
The dispute between players and the coach forced Mehdi Benatia to step in and mediate between the two parties. The players reportedly asked the Marseille director, a former defender for Roma and Juventus, to leave De Zerbi out for the following Ligue 1 match.
Marseille players were also unhappy because De Zerbi had forced them into a training retreat on Sunday, the day after their defeat in Reims.
Ultimately, Benatia convinced the players to take to the pitch for the training session with an unapproachable De Zerbi following the session from the touchline.
De Zerbi is seen as the leading candidate for the Milan job in the summer, as his agent already met Fabio Paratici last week.
Paratici, however, is no longer likely to take on the Milan sporting director role, so it remains to be seen whether the latest turnaround will affect De Zerbi’s chances of returning to Milanello.
