At a glance:
- Tottenham boss had a spat with Ismael Kone
- He left Marseille in 2025
- Jesse Marsch has labeled Roberto De Zerbi an ‘a**hole’
Tottenham Hotspur have had three managers this season, as they appointed Roberto De Zerbi on a five-year deal.
The Italian manager has overseen a resurgence at Spurs, who are involved in a relegation battle. Since his arrival, Tottenham have won seven points in four games, two more than they did in their previous 14 Premier League games.
However, De Zerbi is known to be a volatile figure. He fell out with the owners at both his previous clubs, i.e., Brighton and Marseille.
The De Zerbi-Kone incident
De Zerbi had a really good spell at Marseille. He managed them for 69 games, winning 39, losing 22, and drawing eight, securing a points-per-game of 1.81. However, it was not all good for the Italian.
The now-Tottenham boss had a bust-up with Ismael Kone on the training ground, where he urged the midfielder to call his agent.
Marseille released the video of this spat in a documentary in August 2025. However, Kone had already joined Sassuolo on loan in January last year before joining them permanently this year.
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has now opened up about Kone and De Zerbi’s spat on CBS’s Call It What You Want podcast, saying:
“It wasn’t easy with De Zerbi and Marseille [for Kone]. De Zerbi was a real, real a**hole with him and he stayed strong. He never doubted himself. He found a new situation, and now look at him flourishing. Let me reiterate. De Zerbi was a real a**hole with him.”
Also Read: What Roberto De Zerbi has done privately at Tottenham that’s made a ‘big difference’
Kone made just nine appearances for Marseille after joining them from Watford in 2024.
De Zerbi has had a contrasting start at Tottenham
While the Italian is known as a volatile figure, he has been far from it during his brief stint at Tottenham so far.
He has inspired confidence in not just the players but also the club’s fans. Conor Gallagher lauded De Zerbi after Spurs’ 2-1 win over Aston Villa on May 3, which is a sign that the players are relishing the prospect of working with him.
Moreover, most reports have suggested that many players are buoyed by the Italian’s training methods and communication.
This is also visible on the pitch, as the players appear confident and have already delivered some good performances. They have two wins and one draw in their last three games.
Also Read: Massive twist emerges in Micky van de Ven’s Tottenham future
Now, it is unlikely that any coach, let alone De Zerbi, would start falling out with the players or the hierarchy so soon after his arrival.
If that ever happens, it would only happen after a few months. However, so far, the Italian has been a breath of fresh air compared to Thomas Frank.
He also appears likely to keep Tottenham in the Premier League next season.
