Man Utd can now appoint explosive manager who held secret INEOS talks | Football | Sport
Rio Ferdinand’s hopes for Manchester United to bring in one of his preferred managers have moved a step closer to reality. Whilst his former Old Trafford colleague Michael Carrick has impressed in his caretaker role, Ferdinand has long championed Roberto De Zerbi, the ex-Brighton manager who allegedly held confidential discussions with the club in 2024 prior to his move to Marseille.
Speaking in January on his Presents podcast about potential successors to the dismissed Ruben Amorim, Ferdinand expressed his admiration for the Italian tactician: “Someone who’s free right now; not free [but] someone who’s gettable. More than someone like [Thomas] Tuchel, because Tuchel would be one of my biggest picks as well, is De Zerbi. I’m telling you. Any formation he wants to play, the guy is a proper coach who gets players working and playing.”
Whilst Tuchel appears unavailable following his England contract extension, De Zerbi has become significantly more accessible after leaving Marseille by mutual agreement amid claims of disputes with senior squad members, who were reportedly dissatisfied with his training methods and explosive management style.
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Marseille, currently sitting fourth and trailing Paris Saint-Germain by 12 points whilst already knocked out of this season’s Champions League, released a statement saying: “Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club’s management – 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, in order to respond to the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”
De Zerbi reportedly had confrontations with senior personnel at his previous clubs. When questioned about whether United require a combative manager, Ferdinand remained steadfast, declaring: “I’d bring fire to the party, I’m telling you.
“I’d bring fire… I wouldn’t bring craziness, but I’d bring [in] someone who’s bringing that fire, that passion.
“But really, really backed up by someone who’s shown that they can coach the life out of a team. They can coach the hell out of a team.
“They can coach individuals, improve players and can really put down a way of playing football. I really do believe you need someone who is strong on their own identity.”
De Zerbi isn’t exclusively linked with United, as he’s also been suggested as a candidate for the Tottenham position following Thomas Frank’s dismissal. Spurs have appointed former Juventus manager Igor Tudor on an interim basis whilst they consider their next permanent hire.
