Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has come under heavy criticism from Canada manager Jesse Marsch over his treatment of midfielder Ismaël Koné during their time together at Marseille.
Tensions between De Zerbi and Koné first became public last August when footage emerged from a heated Marseille training session. In the clip, De Zerbi could be seen angrily confronting the Canadian international, with players and staff stepping in to separate the pair.
The Italian coach was heard telling Koné to “go inside” before shouting: “Call your agent.”
Shortly afterwards, Koné left Marseille to join Sassuolo, and Marsch has now spoken openly about the situation while praising the midfielder’s resilience and development.
“It wasn’t easy for him with De Zerbi at Marseille,” Marsch said. “De Zerbi was really harsh on him, but Ismaël stayed mentally strong and never stopped believing in himself. He found a new environment and now you can see him thriving.”
Marsch also highlighted the progress Koné has made under his guidance with Canada, pointing to improvements in discipline, professionalism and consistency.
“When I first worked with him, I saw a player full of talent but still developing in many areas. We worked a lot on focus, preparation, diet, recovery, training habits and overall understanding of the game.
Going to Italy and playing in such an organised league has helped him massively, and he’s had an excellent season.”
De Zerbi, however, appeared to stand by his stance on the player in a documentary that later revisited the incident.
“He is one of the most talented players at Marseille,” De Zerbi explained, “but his behaviour wasn’t always at the level required. His performances and attitude fluctuated too much for a player expected to succeed at a club like Marseille.”
Despite the controversy, De Zerbi’s start at Tottenham has shown signs of promise. Since taking charge, the Italian has collected seven points from his opening four matches, including a crucial win away at Aston Villa that boosted Spurs’ hopes of avoiding relegation.
Tottenham now sit just outside the relegation zone and have their survival fate in their own hands heading into the final weeks of the season.
Spurs face Leeds United on Monday night before difficult fixtures against Chelsea and Everton to close out the campaign. Meanwhile, relegation rivals West Ham still have matches against Arsenal, Newcastle and Leeds remaining.
Nottingham Forest also appear close to securing Premier League survival after their recent win over Chelsea extended their unbeaten run stretching back to March.
