Roberto De Zerbi Breaks Silence on Manchester United Interest as Red Devils Continue Amorim Replacement Search

‎Roberto De Zerbi has commented for the first time on growing speculation that he could become Manchester United’s next permanent head coach after Ruben Amorim was sacked. The club have placed Michael Carrick in charge on an interim basis until the end of the 2025–26 campaign while they explore options for a full-time replacement.

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Roberto De Zerbi responds to Manchester United links, praises the Premier League, and reiterates his commitment to Marseille as United look for Ruben Amorim’s long-term successor.

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‎United are still in the process of identifying a long-term manager and are expected to make their final decision during the summer. De Zerbi, who was interviewed by the club in 2024 but turned down the role, remains a figure of interest at Old Trafford. The Italian moved to Marseille in 2024 on a three-year contract following a successful spell at Brighton in the Premier League, and he went on to lead the French club to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 in his first season.

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‎Ahead of Marseille’s Champions League encounter with Liverpool, De Zerbi was quizzed about his future and his name being linked with the United job. He stressed that his attention is fully on his current team, telling reporters: “My focus is on Marseille. I wanted to come here, I'm here before a very important match and there's nothing else on my mind. I feel good here and I have nothing to say about the future, we'll talk about that later. I feel very good in this city and this club.”

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‎De Zerbi also spoke about his admiration for the Premier League, while making it clear that he is content in his current position. In comments to TNT Sports, he said: “Marseille is the right place for me, because the people love football and they feel the passion. It's a religion more than a sport, and it's more than a job. If you want to work at the club, you have to eat, drink, and sleep football. At the moment, I feel very good at this club. We're building something special. Medhi Benatia, Pablo Longoria, and I are working to make Marseille better. I feel my work in the city is not finished. In the future, for sure, the Premier League is a different fashion to any other league in the world, but at the moment, my focus is just on Marseille. The Premier League is absolutely the best league in the world, and I have great memories of when I worked in Brighton. It was an amazing experience for me, and I feel the league is getting better and better.”

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‎Marseille midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has publicly backed his manager, labeling De Zerbi both an excellent coach and a great person. Speaking before the Liverpool fixture, Hojbjerg said: “It's fantastic playing here, honestly. To have this as our home crowd and as our stadium, I'm smiling because it is so nice. You can expect fireworks. He's a good coach and a good guy. I like the way he wants to play, it's fantastic. He's amongst the best coaches that I've had, so it's a joy to be able to have him as a coach. It doesn't matter if you're 25, 30, or 20; he wants to progress every player, and that's a nice feeling. We have to stay ambitious, but also we have to stay focused on working hard. Then, I think we will do great things, but it has to be day-by-day and game-by-game.”

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‎Next up for De Zerbi is a Champions League showdown against Liverpool, one of Manchester United’s biggest rivals. A victory would likely be welcomed by those in charge at Old Trafford, and the Marseille boss has already warned the Reds about the atmosphere they will face at the Velodrome. He said: “Tomorrow, the Velodrome will be filled with festive cheer. With the demand for tickets, we could fill two stadiums. We'll need to be ready for the atmosphere. Not just in terms of the desire to run, but also the personality. We're going to try to win the match.”