‘It was never easy to leave’ – Roberto De Zerbi on Brighton exit and Marseille connection | OneFootball

Speaking to Get French Football News journalist George Boxall during his pre-match press conference ahead of Olympique de Marseille’s Ligue 1 clash against Saint-Étienne on Saturday, manager Roberto De Zerbi spoke an his feelings about his exit from Brighton, as well as his current connection to the city and supporters of Marseille. “I need to feel a connection with the place that I work, if not I have trouble expressing myself,” said De Zerbi at Marseille’s training ground on Friday afternoon. “Working without putting my heart into everything is something that I cannot do. It’s not for me. I need relationships with people, the people that work here and in the training ground. Also with the players, it’s something that I need.”“I need to feel a connection it’s something that I had at Brighton. It was really strong with the players, and we had a great relationship with the supporters. It’s never easy to leave,” said De Zerbi with a palpable sense of emotion. The Italian coach left the Premier League side this summer following a disagreement with the club’s hierarchy over the future of the Seagulls and their plans for the upcoming season. Despite being touted for a move to fellow Premier League side’s Manchester United and Chelsea, De Zerbi opted to join Marseille.“I came to Marseille because it was what I was looking for. I was looking for an environment which could make me dream. I feel good here, both the city of Marseille and the club of Marseille are similar to me in a way. We have a lot of players now that are similar to me, that experience the match the same way that I do.”“When you create a connection with these people it’s no longer a job. When you go home and then go to the training ground, you go to the stadium and you want things to start,” De Zerbi said on the emotional aspect of being Marseille’s manager. “With Mehdi Benatia we are already looking at the years ahead. It’s always about looking ahead. I’m not going to say how many hours I work here, but I want to offer everything to the people that come and watch us and support the team. That is the magic of football. It’s the only job where you can give so much emotion to people that you don’t even know.”GFFN | George Boxall – Reporting from Marseille.