Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi has revealed why he opted against starting Mason Greenwood against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday evening.
Greenwood left Man Utd permanently during last year’s summer transfer window as he joined Marseille in a deal worth around £25m.
The 23-year-old initially departed Man Utd before the 2023/24 campaign, heading to La Liga outfit Getafe on loan.
This exit from Man Utd came about after the case against him was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service. He was facing charges relating to attempted rape and assault, but the hearing ended following the withdrawal of key witnesses.
Greenwood has 16 goals and three assists in his 28 appearances for Marseille this season and has been linked with several European giants ahead of this summer’s transfer window.
Despite this, Greenwood has started Marseille’s last two Ligue Un matches on the bench. Earlier this month, a report from RMC Sport claimed the forward has been ‘irritating’ club chiefs with his situation ‘worrying’.
‘Regarding Mason Greenwood, his case has been worrying De Zerbi for several weeks, the staff, and even the management, increasingly impatient with him. Even if it is also his style, Greenwood displays a nonchalance, an attitude and a lack of effort that irritates.’
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‘Above all, there is a huge gap between his potential and his contribution to the game, especially at the heart of a team that generally crushes its opponent in terms of ball possession and therefore needs everyone to be in tune and concerned by the game.’
Greenwood was restricted to a 27-minute cameo appearance off the bench against PSG on Sunday as Marseille suffered a 3-1 loss. This leaves De Zerbi’s side 19 points adrift of the Ligue Un leaders.
Speaking post-match, De Zerbi claimed Greenwood didn’t start because he was “not in the right physical condition”.
“For me, he’s not in the right physical condition to play,” De Zerbi said.
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“Mason is a crucial player for us. But if I’m not mistaken, at the beginning of the season Dembele wasn’t in the starting XI.
“We need Mason, but he has to be in good physical condition. It’s very important at this point in the season.”
PSG boss Luis Enrique credited his squad following their “exceptional week” as they look to “win all the trophies” this season.
“It’s been an exceptional week for us. A classic always motivates players from both teams, and I think we put on a great show tonight,” Luis Enrique said.
“It’s difficult to get the ball to Marseille, and even more so to PSG. Each coach tried to play his cards right. It’s obvious that after a game like Liverpool, we had the chance to play a classic and that kept us on our toes.
“I’m very happy with my team and the support of our supporters. Our aim is to win Ligue 1, to win all the trophies, that’s our hope.
“We’re aware of the huge challenge facing us, and we’re working hard every day to achieve (what we want).”
