Marseille have announced that coach Roberto De Zerbi has left the club “by mutual agreement,” following a humiliating 5-0 defeat to bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Italian, 46, had been in charge of Olympique de Marseille since the summer of 2024 and has now been linked with a possible return to the Premier League.

The club confirmed the decision on Wednesday, after a series of disappointing results that left Marseille fourth in Ligue 1 and eliminated from the Champions League.

“Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club — the owner, president, director of football, and coach — it was decided to make a change at the helm of the first team. This was a difficult collective decision, taken after careful consideration in the best interests of the club,” read the official statement.

De Zerbi had led Marseille to second place in Ligue 1 last season and started this term strongly, topping the table after a 6-2 victory over Le Havre in October. However, inconsistency soon emerged, culminating in a string of poor results, including Champions League elimination after back-to-back 3-0 losses to Liverpool and Club Brugge.

A club source added: “A change of approach was necessary to ensure we reach our objectives at the end of the season, notably qualification for the Champions League.”

Despite his early success, Marseille have struggled to maintain momentum, winning only three of their last eight league matches. Currently, they trail reigning champions PSG by 12 points and Lyon by three points for automatic Champions League qualification.

De Zerbi, who previously enjoyed a successful stint at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, expressed frustration with his team’s inconsistency. “If I had the solution to this inconsistency, I would find it, whatever the price,” he admitted. Before Brighton, he coached Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

Marseille have now gone through six full-time coaches in the past four years, highlighting a period of instability at the club.