Roberto De Zerbi to Liverpool: Why the FSG Stance Would Cause Conflict

Liverpool will return to Champions League action on Wednesday evening, facing off with Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille. The Reds have managed to go on a 12-game unbeaten run in the last couple of months, but their performances will quickly need to improve now that they are competing in Europe once more. Liverpool sit ninth in the table after six games, losing two and winning four in the competition to date. They now face a Marseille side who are 16th but would overtake Arne Slot’s men with a win on Wednesday. The French side, who are third in Ligue 1, have had a mixed campaign to date under the guidance of Roberto De Zerbi. Had things gone differently, however, the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion manager could have been the one leading Liverpool this week. Liverpool could have appointed De Zerbi! He’s lost the same number of games as Slot in 18 months! Liverpool wanted Roberto De Zerbi Back in March 2024, when it was already confirmed that Jurgen Klopp was leaving the club, The Guardian said De Zerbi was on Liverpool’s radar. MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES In an interview with Sky Sports, the Italian responded to links by saying: “When I hear that big teams are interested in me it is an honour. “I am proud, but my focus is on my work day-by-day. About the future, I will speak with the owner and with the club [Brighton] because I want to compete in the best way I can.” However, the manager did not last much longer at the Amex, departing at the end of the 2023/24 season. Prior to his exit, The Times published a report suggesting De Zerbi was unhappy at the Seagulls’ failure to strengthen the squad in January, and the club feared he was going to walk away, which he did. So, while some may be unhappy with Slot right now, it’s clear that the former Brighton man likely would have had similar issues at Anfield this term, at least when it comes to dealing with the board. Score predictions for Liverpool’s trip to Marseille? 👇 The Reds are 2/2 at the Stade Vélodrome 👀 Arne Slot in agreement with Liverpool board on transfers Despite the recent poor performances and results, Slot recently came out to say everyone at Liverpool is ‘aligned’ on transfers. However, he crucially added that it did not mean any signings would actually be made this month. The latest reports suggest Liverpool will have a quiet transfer window, with no new additions yet to be forthcoming. Had De Zerbi been in the same situation this season, it seems obvious he would have been unhappy, given Brighton did something similar in his final season before he decided to leave the South Coast outfit. Liverpool may well be in a different position in the league if their upcoming opponents’ coach were in charge, but there would most likely have been disagreements behind the scenes due to the lack of activity this month.