‘His departure ultimately helped us’ – Roberto De Zerbi revisits Adrien Rabiot’s departure | OneFootball

‘His departure ultimately helped us’ – Roberto De Zerbi revisits Adrien Rabiot’s departure | OneFootball

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·9 October 2025

‘His departure ultimately helped us’ – Roberto De Zerbi revisits Adrien Rabiot’s departure

Article image:‘His departure ultimately helped us’ – Roberto De Zerbi revisits Adrien Rabiot’s departure

Roberto De Zerbi has given rare interview with Italian outlet Corriere Della Sera, where the Olympique de Marseille coach revisited the clash between Jonathan Rowe and Adrien Rabiot which saw both players depart the club just before the end of the transfer window in September. After Rabiot spoke publicly of “betrayal” regarding his exit from Marseille, the Italian coach appears to have turned the page. De Zerbi, who reportedly felt frustrated by the midfielder’s reaction following a clash with teammate Rowe, now sees the transfer in a positive light. “I had never seen something like that, and I come from the streets. But it actually did us good, because the club chose to let Rabiot go – who didn’t want to take a step back,” De Zerbi told Corriere della Sera.“I find it hard to enjoy anything, I’m never happy. I love coaching. The past month has been one of the periods I’ve enjoyed the most… But the work is heavy, Klopp is right… No. I don’t need to be in football. But I want to stay in my own way, for example, to always bring out the best qualities in the players.”GFFN | George Boxall

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