Since his time as the head coach of Sassuolo, Roberto De Zerbi has been one of the most highly rated coaches in Italian football. However, when all the big teams were looking to hire him, he surprised everyone by signing with Shakhtar Donetsk. Now, as the head coach of the surprising Olympique de Marseille, Serie A wants to bring him back.

De Zerbi as a replacement for Thiago Motta?

After the defeat against Atalanta in Serie A, which has ruled them out of the title race, the number of detractors of Thiago Motta at Juventus has been growing. Especially since, after being eliminated from both the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’ has reported that finishing in the top four may not be enough for Motta.

In this sense, Juventus has begun exploring the market in search of a coach with more experience at the top level than Thiago Motta, who has struggled with the jump from Bologna. Conte’s return is not ruled out, and Gasperini's situation at Atalanta could bring him to Turin. However, De Zerbi’s name is very high on the list of candidates.

De Zerbi is Milan's obsession

However, Juventus is not the only Serie A club interested in bringing De Zerbi back to Italy. After failed bets on Paulo Fonseca and Sérgio Conceição, the current head coach of Olympique de Marseille is the top candidate for Milan's sports management to rebuild the project starting next summer. The ‘Plan B’ is an ex-Juventus manager like Allegri.

De Zerbi has never lacked suitors from top European clubs... despite still being only 45 years old. However, last summer, he signed a three-year contract (until 2027) with Olympique de Marseille, where he is building the most ambitious project in Ligue 1 to try to challenge PSG's overwhelming dominance.