Coach De Zerbi angrily chased his students off the training ground.

Coach De Zerbi is famous for being strict.

In the latest episode of the documentary series about De Zerbi’s first season at Marseille, viewers witnessed a heated argument between the Italian and his young Canadian. The incident occurred when Kone lost the ball in training, causing De Zerbi to become angry and shout: “Oh my God, when I say reduce your touches, reduce your touches!”

Dissatisfied with Kone's attitude and performance, De Zerbi immediately ordered: "I can't play like that, go take a shower! Go to the locker room now, Isma, we are Olympique Marseille!".

The incident did not stop there. As Kone walked away, De Zerbi continued to shout loudly: “Call your agent, call him here!” - a sarcastic remark that made the 23-year-old midfielder turn around and face him, leading to a tense argument that almost got out of control. Assistants and players had to intervene to prevent things from going further.

Just a few months after the incident, Kone was sent on loan to Rennes - ending his Marseille journey prematurely after just eight appearances. He has now moved to Sassuolo in Serie A.

Speaking about Kone in the documentary, De Zerbi could not hide his disappointment: "He is one of the players with the most potential at Marseille, but his inconsistent behavior and form make him not ready to play for this team. One day he plays excellently, the next day he falls out of form - that is unacceptable at this level."

Ismael Kone had potential, but couldn't stay at Marseille.

Sporting director Medhi Benatia also frankly shared: “Isma is not a bad person, but I think he does not understand what Marseille is. This is not a stepping stone, this is the pinnacle. He came from Watford and maybe thought everything would be easy. We reminded him many times, but there was no change.”

Benatia recalled that moment: “I was on the edge of the pitch, just saying: ‘Go change, come up to my room and we’ll talk’. I didn’t blame anyone, I just asked Isma one thing: why did you come back? For me, that shouldn’t have happened.”

The footage also shows De Zerbi asking striker Jonathan Rowe about Kone’s attitude in training. Rowe admitted: “It was one of the most tense moments of the season. I didn’t dare comment – I was afraid that if I did, I would be sent off.”

Kone ended the season with a gentle response, scoring against Marseille in a 4-2 defeat to Rennes. However, his future was no longer at the Vélodrome. Sassuolo loaned Kone with an option to buy - ending a brief but turbulent period in France.

De Zerbi later admitted: “Some players might be shocked by that situation, but I am used to it. After 30 years in football, such things are part of the job.”

From this incident, Marseille sent a clear message: talent is not enough - discipline, spirit and fighting spirit are the true measures of value in the top football environment.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-de-zerbi-noi-gian-duoi-hoc-tro-khoi-san-tap-post1574216.html