‘I cried after the match’ – Roberto De Zerbi on Marseille’s defeat to PSG in the Trophée des Champions | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi admitted that he cried in the dressing room after Olympique de Marseille’s penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophée des Champions, despite believing his side deserved to lift the trophy. Marseille were beaten 4–1 on penalties following a dramatic 2–2 draw in Kuwait, allowing Paris Saint-Germain to claim another piece of silverware at the expense of their rivals.

“I have never cried after a defeat,” said Roberto De Zerbi in a press conference transcirbed by La Provence. “Tonight, I cried when I returned to the dressing room. PSG are the best team in Europe and the one that has played the best football over the last year and a half. But today, we deserved to win.”

The Olympique de Marseille head coach praised his players’ performance, highlighting the quality, character and intensity shown throughout the match, particularly in the second half as Marseille pushed PSG back. Les Phocéens looked 90 seconds from winning a first trophy since 2012, but Gonçalo Ramos’s late equaliser saw the contest extended to a penalty shootout.

“There was everything: the football, the character, the defensive work, the technique,” De Zerbi added. “This is the type of performance we must demand every time.”

The Italian also addressed Marseille’s recent inconsistency, taking personal responsibility for the disparity between this display and their defeat to Nantes earlier in the week. “If the team can play so differently in four days, then the first responsibility is mine,” he said. “Against Nantes, there was nothing. Tonight, there was everything.”GFFN | George Boxall